By Becky Maxedon in collaboration with Jay Coombs
RiverScene Magazine is beginning a series to bring the history of Lake Havasu City and those who helped with its development. Thanks to the discovery of a treasure trove of documents, photos, videos, maps and more, RiverScene Magazine will be publishing and sharing videos and stories about the history and the people who were the builders and developers of Lake Havasu City.
Local resident Jay Coombs, the son of Joseph (Joe) H. Coombs Jr., President of Tri-County Engineering Corp. (later Trico International and Trico Corp.), has shared his father’s documents, maps and more to help create the stories and videos.
The Lake Havasu Museum of History has also been a part of this project, sharing many of its well-preserved pieces of history.
A 1964 original plan with tracts and street names of Lake Havasu City once designed and owned by C.V. Wood of Marco Engineering. This plan now owned by Jay Coombs. Photo Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
This is an introduction to the series with a glossary reference to the people you will be hearing about in the future.
RiverScene will also be publishing in-depth profiles of these folks that will fill in the blanks along the way.
The first reference should come as no surprise to anyone.
Robert Paxton McCulloch, among so many other accomplishments, is the father of Lake Havasu City.
McCulloch was the chairman of McCulloch Oil Corp. McCulloch Properties Inc., (MPI) was formed as a subsidiary in December 1961.
Possibly best known for his famous McCulloch chainsaws, the visionary entrepreneur did so much more. But more about the McCulloch history will follow in his profile story.
On a flyover of Lake Havasu, McCulloch was in the throes of the development of his outboard boat motor, he thought he had found the perfect place to test it.
McCulloch purchased 3,500 acres of property in the area including 160 acres on Pittsburgh Point.
In 1963, at an auction on the Mohave County courthouse steps, McCulloch purchased 12,991 acres. Which, combined with the 3,500 acres on Pittsburgh Point, became a 26-square-mile parcel of barren desert that would become Lake Havasu City.
Robert McCulloch Sr. pictured laughing with the Lord Mayor of London’s wife ,Angela Mary Garnier, at an airport in Los Angeles before the London Bridge Dedication in Lake Havasu. Photo courtesy Sheila McCulloch
Gerald Robechaud was the co-founder and executive vice president of McCulloch Oil Corp.
He was known as ‘Mr. Havasu’. Notably, he supervised and ‘built’ McCulloch’s outboard motor test facility at Site 6, brought in the first electric power to Site 6 with underwater cable from across the lake, built the first house in Lake Havasu City, and served on the Board of Directors for the Irrigation and Drainage District (IDD).
C.V. Wood Jr. (Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood Jr.) was president of McCulloch Properties Inc., and president of the board of directors for the Lake Havasu Irrigation and Drainage District.
He was an American developer of theme parks and planned communities.
He was the chief designer and first general manager of Disneyland, among other enterprises and theme parks.
Jay Coombs fondly remembers Wood.
“He was a showman, promoter, and master planner. He was also adventurous, with interests in finding/mining for gold (Yellowknife near the Artic, and South America). He also put together an expedition in the Himalayas, in search of the abominable snowman.
“He was also known for his chili and proclaimed ‘World Chili Champion’.”
C.V. Wood (standing) and guests inside of the tent at the 1971 London Bridge Dedication in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Museum of History.
Joseph (Joe) H. Coombs Jr. was president of Tri-County Engineering. The company provided MPI and the IDD with full-service survey and civil engineering services including surveying, planning, budgeting, design/mapping, staking and infrastructure construction management.
Joe Coombs of Tri-County Engineering. Father of Jay Coombs. Photo courtesy Jay Coombs
Lorne Pratt was the president of Holly Development, and later, Executive Vice President of MPI.
According to Joe Coombs’ writings, Pratt first met RP McCulloch at a boat race, the Salton City 500, of which McCulloch was a participant and Lorne was the announcer.
Robert P. McCulloch Jr. was the executive vice-president of MPI.
Working directly with C.V. Wood Jr., Bob Jr. oversaw and managed the development of Lake Havasu City. He, his wife Deborah and children were part-time residents with a home on Cliffrose Drive.
In 1972, he and business partner Kenneth Komic developed The Isles Condominiums, a tennis club and fitness center on the island shores of the newly built Bridgwater Channel.
Robert McCulloch Jr. in London during the dismantling of the London Bridge. The bridge was then shipped to Lake Havasu City and rebuilt. Photo by Joe Coombs courtesy Jay Coombs.
Fred Schumacher was vice president and general manager of MPI. Working directly with C.V. Wood Jr. and Bob Jr., Schumacher managed the daily operations for MPI. (If LHC had been an incorporated city at the time, he would have been the city manager).
He and his wife Virgina were full time residents, with a home on the corner of Smoketree Avenue and Cliffrose Drive, right next door to Bob Jr’s residence. They had a common gate installed between their homes respectively. Note that C.V. Wood met Schumacher during their employment with Convair Aircraft. He followed Wood to Disneyland and later MPI.
Charles C. Royall Jr. was general manager and secretary for the IDD. The IDD was formed on Sept. 30, 1963, creating LHC’s first legal government. Royall was an attorney and former New Mexico legislator. He was also instrumental in forming the Lake Havasu City School District and served on the school district’s first board of directors.
Jim Schulte was the IDD’s first employee. As field superintendent, his responsibilities included all IDD’s outdoor activities including supervision of construction, inspection, operation and maintenance of city water wells and water distribution systems.
Gordon Freudig was co-founder of Tri-County Engineering, Gordon was a registered civil engineer and surveyor. (He was also a registered architect). He is the civil engineer and surveyor of record for all Lake Havasu City’s tract (block/lot/street) design, flood control, final mapping and survey staking.
Carl Baker was a Tri-County Engineering surveyor and project manager. Arriving in May 1963, Baker was the first land surveyor on the job for MPI’s proposed Lake Havasu City project. Subsequently, he managed all the early surveying, mapping and construction staking work.
In 1966, Baker left Havasu and opened a subsidiary office Trico Management, in Aspen, Colo., to survey and do preliminary work for McCulloch’s proposed Hunter Valley project (of which did not happen due to local pushback).
Later, in 1968, Baker went to work directly for MPI to supervise the relocation and construction of London Bridge and Bridgewater Channel. After the London Bridge project completion, Baker relocated to Tennessee to oversee McCulloch’s coal mining operation.
Jack Barber was an Ace fighter pilot from the United Kingdom in World War II. He was a long-time associate of C.V. Wood Jr. After the war, Barber met Wood while piloting personnel and supplies in and out of a gold mining operation near the Artic Circle called Yellowknife, of which Wood had interest.
Later, in search of gold, he and Wood survived a ‘forced landing’ in the jungle in South America. In 1968-1971, working in London for MPI, Barber was hired to arrange for the cutting, cleaning, numbering and shipping the London Bridge stones.
His work included a 100-scale ‘as built’ drawing of London Bridge, showing the correct placement for each numbered stone, so the Bridge could be accurately reconstructed in Lake Havasu City.
Jack Barber self portrait courtesy Sheila McCulloch.
George Foster was the founder of Foster Freeze and developer of Lake Havasu Marina in 1965.
Richard McCulloch, Robert Paxton McCulloch’s son, purchased Lake Havasu Marina in 1971 from George Foster. He owned and operated the marina until his passing in 2013.
Lake Havasu Marina is now owned and operated by his children Michael and Jeanne McCulloch.
An aerial photo overlooking the island ( a penisula at this point in time), the airport, and the Lake Havasu Marina in 1968. Photo by Ken Brown and courtesy Lake Havasu Museum of History
My father Oliver (O) Heck who worked for McCulloch and Gerald Robechaud was sent out to Site 6 to clean it up. His team made new boat docks, removed old Quonset huts, including the CO Barracks. That building had a large fireplace with lower rock walls and paneling above. When the walls were removed, they found that it was full of honeybees. We sent for the cook, and he was able to recover about 5 gal of HONNEY. They had fresh Bisquit’s with honey for breakfast. later on, those new boat docks were attached together and were used to carry the new underwater electrical cable across the lake to the California side.