What’s a Chainsaw Got to Do With London Bridge Falling Down?
In my shed sits the remnant of my first chainsaw. I’ve owned several over the years, but the most unique one is a McCulloch brand. It has a unique chain-tensioning system which makes it easy to keep chopping as the chain expands from heat. I haven’t seen this feature elsewhere, and it does make the process of firewood gathering a bit simpler.
I was thinking about this recently, while driving over four hours through the Mojave Desert on Route 66 in 41-degree sun to arrive at Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The hotel we stayed at was situated right next to the historic London Bridge. Yes—the actual bridge. What’s the connection to the innovative chainsaw rusting away in my shed? The person behind both.
In the 1940s, Robert P. McCulloch and his partners founded the McCulloch Chain Saw Company in Los Angeles, California. They developed and manufactured chainsaws that became popular for their innovative design and ease of use. The McCulloch brand became well-known in the chainsaw industry. Over time, the brand changed ownership and is now owned by a Swedish firm.
In the early 1960s, the London Bridge in England, while not ‘falling down’, was instead sinking. It was unable to support modern traffic loads. The City of London decided to sell it, and in 1968, McCulloch bought it. Why, because he needed something to draw people into a new community he was creating way out in the middle of nowhere.
So the bridge was dismantled stone by stone and shipped to Lake Havasu City, where it was reconstructed and finished in 1971 over a man-made canal. As for the city itself, Lake Havasu City was founded in 1964 by McCulloch as a planned community. The city’s growth was driven by the promise of a warm climate, a beautiful lake, and the iconic bridge, making it a popular spot for vacationers and retirees. The city has grown significantly over the years and is known for its boating and party scene mixed with retirees. It works because, in America…
Visionary, Contrarian, or Just Plain Eccentric?
Robert P. McCulloch was the kind of guy who didn’t wait around for someone to tell him what was possible. He wasn’t your typical property developer, either – for him, it was creating an outcome for people, rather than just profit. He had money, sure—but more than that, he had vision and a bit of audacity. This is the man who bought a bridge that was falling down and rebuilt it in the middle of an Arizona desert. Not for nostalgia. Not even because it made perfect sense. But because he saw something that wasn’t there yet.
We stopped a few times on our four-hour drive from the Grand Canyon—I can testify that this place was barren, remote, and hot enough to fry logic on the pavement. This is why is stands out to me. He went full noise: bought the actual London Bridge, had it dismantled stone by stone, shipped across the Atlantic, and rebuilt it over an artificial canal. It was weird. And it worked! The roads, the neighborhoods, the access to the water, it’s all designed for people.
This wasn’t about the engineering flex, either – he had no blueprint. He had resources, but he still had to find his own way. There was no proven playbook for “turning desert into desirable.” And yet, he wasn’t doing it just for himself. He wanted to create a town where people could live, work, and build something together.
Here’s the Punchline
I think there’s a lesson here for anyone trying to carve their own path, and it’s an important one for New Zealand, I think. We’re a nation of people who, often with a spirit of independence, make attempts to build things in pursuit of a better life. We have ambition, creativity, and often a solid work ethic, but if I’m anything to go by, we can often struggle to form communities as we pursue greatness.
Recently, I caught up with Professor Mike Grimshaw from the University of Canterbury. Being a self-confessed “intellectual mongrel,” I thought it might be interesting to explore the question of “Has New Zealand lost its way?” Over the last few years, it kind of feels like we have, and if so, we should find out what can be done to find our way back. I believe that in doing so, there’s new wealth that can be unlocked in the process.
Our desert way out in the South Pacific really isn’t that different from the from what this American businessman saw in the late 60’s. In fact, we have reason to be extremely optimistic about our country. As the world becomes scarier, our little corner of the world looks increasingly attractive to live in. As technology continues to evolve, our opportunities for success will also. I think we can be original, contrarian even, and although we’re in the middle of nowhere, we don’t have to be isolated in the age of technology. We can build a life, a business, or a house and still let people in. McCulloch didn’t just build his own future—he built a place others could call home, too.
