The Big Adventure, Lawndale California 1964

            “Honey, look at this!  A new city is being born in Arizona,” Ken said showing Jilma and article in the Los Angeles Times.
            They sent in a coupon and set a date for a representative to come to their home to show them slides of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. 
            After the representative set up his screen, projector and a carrousel full of color slides he started his presentation.  The clarity of the lake, the pristine blue skies and the proud mountains dressed in purple majesty were impressive.
            There is something strange about these pictures, Jilma thought and after a while she knew what it was.
            “There are no telephone poles or wires to spoil the landscape,” she said.
            “And never will there be any.  All utilities will be buried underground and there always will be a lake view from all houses.”
            Ken and Jilma took a plane to this fabulous place; a one-day trip, free of charge.  The moment Ken looked out the window and saw the lake, he fell in love with Lake Havasu City.
            A salesman met them at the airport and showed them the city in a Jeep Wagoneer.  Some of the streets had names and were paved; there were some water hydrants but there were no houses except for one or two model homes and the Lake Havasu Hotel which was built and owned by the developer, McCulloch Corporation.  After lunch at “The Hotel”, we were driven to a street named Pima.
            “This is your lot,” the salesman said pointing to a piece of dirt.
            Ken and Jilma stood on “their lot” holding hands, admiring the unobstructed view of the lake.  It was so beautiful, it almost took their breath away.  They were returned to the hotel where they signed papers and became the proud owners of a lot full of rocks.
            Ken was a visionary and the family joined him in his dream.  He saw the opportunities of moving to a new city.  Since he was raised in a small town in Michigan, he believed that a small town was better than a big city to raise children.  In 1968, Ken, Jilma and their three children, Howie 16, Carmen 14 and Lindy 12 years old moved to Lake Havasu City where Ken started a business, delivering milk to homes and to restaurants.

Havasu pioneer, Jilma Marriott graciously shares one of her stories with us. The photograph is of an exhibit at the Havasu Museum, featuring the early development of Lake Havasu City. Visit the local museum for an adventure into Lake Havasu History.