World's tallest thermometer
Encyclopedia
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
located in Baker
Baker, California
Baker is a census-designated place located in San Bernardino County, California, USA. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 735.Baker was founded as a station on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad in 1908,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It is technically an electric sign rather than a tall thermometer. However, it exists as a tribute to the record 134 degrees Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
(57 degrees Celsius
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
) recorded in nearby Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
on July 10, 1913. Weighing in at 76,812 pounds and held together by 125 cubic yards of concrete, its temperature readings may be viewed from three different angles.
It stands 134 feet tall and is capable of displaying a maximum temperature of 134, both of which are a reference to the temperature record.
History
Approved by San Bernardino County Planner Nancy Sansonetti, it was built in 1991 by the Young Electric Sign CompanyYoung Electric Sign Company
Young Electric Sign Company is a privately owned manufacturer of electric signs based in Salt Lake City. The company was founded by Thomas Young in 1920 and today has divisions and branches in 10 western states, as well as in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas...
of Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Its maintenance rises up to 40 thousand dollars each year. Recently, the thermometer has fallen into disrepair and no longer properly registers the temperature.
Location
The world's tallest thermometer is located adjacent to a Bob's Big Boy restaurant and is visible along Interstate 15Interstate 15 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 15 is a major north–south route through the San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, and it has a length of in the state. It is a major thoroughfare for traffic between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as points beyond...
in Southern California's Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
in Baker. Along the interstate, the landmark is visible from three different sides. Bun Boy restaurant went out of business after several decades of delighting motorists. The mini-mart at the base of the thermometer was shut down for a minor violation according to a sign posted on the glass door. A plaque for the thermometer has been removed. Country Store with 76 (ConocoPhillips) gas station and Bun Boy Motel are still in operation under the same name.
External links
- World's Tallest Thermometer on Popular Wealth
- Tourist information at Vent Depot
- Roadside America