San Bernardino County history: Baker – Welcome to San Bernardino County

"San Bernardino County Update", yellow arrowhead and "SBCounty.gov

A panoramic view of the World's Tallest Thermometer in Baker. The image also includes various buildings and a roadway with vehicles. — *The World’s Tallest Thermometer in Baker captured by a UAV drone.*

Mining played an important role in the early development of northern San Bernardino County. Gold was discovered in the region in 1849. Other minerals extracted from the area included turquoise, silver, talc, iron and more.

The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad later built tracks extending approximately 200 miles from Ludlow through Death Valley and the Amargosa Valley to transport mined materials. In 1908, a junction along the railroad was named Baker after Richard C. Baker, one of the partners who helped build the railroad.

Baker remained a railroad junction until 1926 when prospector and entrepreneur Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks built a service station and helped develop the town. Fairbanks was a pioneer in the Death Valley area and was also involved in the development of Fairbanks Springs and Shoshone.

Fairbanks became known for helping tourists and prospectors who became stranded in the desert and for providing fuel to travelers at his service station. Those services were extremely important in an area where summer temperatures routinely exceeded 110 degrees.

Decades later, Baker’s extreme heat inspired one of the community’s most recognizable landmarks. The World’s Tallest Thermometer was built in 1991 for local businessman Willis Herron. The thermometer stands at 134 feet tall and was designed to display temperatures as high as 134 degrees in recognition of the record temperature associated with Death Valley.

Herron spent $750,000 to build the thermometer next to his Bun Boy restaurant. Before the structure was officially lit, high winds caused it to collapse.

The thermometer was rebuilt and later changed ownership several times before being turned off for a period. Herron’s family regained ownership in March 2014 and relit the thermometer on July 10, 2014.

Today, Baker is a popular stop for those visiting Las Vegas, Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve. Travelers passing through the area can still see the World’s Tallest Thermometer near Interstate 15 at 72157 Baker Blvd.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.

Additional County Update News – September 17, 2026