By the 1960's the London Bridge was crumbling and sinking into
the Thames. It was decided that a new Bridge was needed. What
do you do with an old Bridge ? Sell it of course !!! An auction
was
began, and in 1968 it was sold for $2.4 Million. The buyer
was
Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil Co. and McCulloch chain
saws. Mr. McCulloch paid an additional $7.5 Million to have
the
Bridge disassembled and shipped to the Arizona Desert. During
disassembly each piece of the Bridge (about 10,270 stones) were
numbered to make re-assembly easier. To avoid hefty taxes Mr.
McCulloch had the Bridge declared an Antique, and is listed in the Guinness World Book of Records as the World's Largest Antique.
The Bridge was re-assembled in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The London Bridge was re-dedicated in October of 1971, and spans the
man made Bridgewater Channel. 2.5 Million people a year visit the
Bridge and is the 2nd most popular tourist attraction in Arizona.
The Grand Canyon is the most popular attraction in Arizona.
