Residents of the 15 Freeway desert outpost of Baker, Calif., located about 94 miles southwest of Las Vegas and 175 miles northeast of Los Angeles, know it’s perpetually hot in their sun-drenched town.
For further verification of just how sweltering the day is, though, they can also peer toward their colossus: the 134-foot “World‘s Tallest Thermometer.”
The “Gateway to Death Valley” will range from a low of 111 degrees to a high of 118 over the next week.
While temperatures are only going up this summer, so too is hope for the thermometer’s future.
The 35-year-old monument went up for sale in May for $1.85 million, leaving a town wondering if there would be takers for an icon whose fate often mirrored that of the desert oasis.
The real estate agent for the family that owns the thermometer spoke with Essential California and assured fans that there has been interest and sale negotiations are underway.
Let’s jump into that chat.
So, why is there a thermometer in Baker?
The metal, glass and plastic gauge was a passion project for Baker businessman Willis Herron.
“For 25 years I’ve had this dream of putting up the world’s tallest thermometer,” Herron told The Times in 1991, “because people pulling off the freeway in the heat of summer are always making remarks like: ‘Whew! It’s hotter ‘n hell. How hot is it anyway?’”
Herron placed the thermometer next to his restaurant, the now long-shuttered Bun Boy, hoping travelers would find the attraction novel enough to stop and patronize.
The lore behind 134 feet
The $750,000 thermometer rose in 1991, collapsed in a sandstorm shortly after and was resurrected in 1992.
The thermometer stands 13 stories or 134 feet tall to commemorate the hottest recorded temperature on earth, 134 degrees at nearby Greenland Ranch in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.
The thermometer once blasted 4,900 bulbs so bright that Herron, who lived across the street, was forced to close his window shades.
Close to a sale
Los Angeles-based real estate agent Baron Castillo says the still functioning thermometer has four legitimate interested buyers from Las Vegas and Los Angeles and expects a completed sale within 60 days.
The updated price of $1.85 million includes 4.31 acres of land that could be used for anything, including storage space and solar panels.
“Right now, it’s just a matter of all parties doing their due diligence,” Castillo said. “There’s several ways the property could be developed, whether that’s retail, a store or a coffee shop, and there’s even a good-sized freezer included. It just depends on what they want to do with it.”
One bright idea
The one business Castillo doesn’t anticipate, however, is a data center, since those entities generally require much more territory, he said.
Castillo believes the biggest need in Baker is charging stations. He noted that the town hosts only four such electrical chargers, often leading to long lines for the millions of annual drivers who traverse between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
“You could have a project where you could construct several charging stations, charging vehicles between 20 to 45 minutes,” Castillo said. “In between that time, they could stop by your microbrewery or restaurant. There really are possibilities here.”
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