America - Buying Tower Bridge

: By the 1960s, the Victorian-era London Bridge was literally sinking into the River Thames at a rate of about one inch every eight years because it could not handle modern traffic.

In 1968, American entrepreneur and chainsaw mogul purchased the 1831 "New" London Bridge for $2,460,000 . america buying tower bridge

The story of "America buying Tower Bridge" is one of history's most persistent urban legends. While an American did famously purchase a bridge from London in 1968, he bought , not the more ornate, iconic Tower Bridge . The Real Transaction : By the 1960s, the Victorian-era London Bridge

: McCulloch wanted a unique centerpiece for his newly planned community, Lake Havasu City, Arizona . His associate, C.V. Wood—who helped design Disneyland—convinced him that a piece of British history would attract tourists and prospective home buyers to the remote desert location. The Myth of the "Mistaken Identity" While an American did famously purchase a bridge