Mojave desert on my way to the tiny town of baker, california. Its halfway between los angeles and las vegas. Just a tiny dot on the map 800 people. It embodies the weirdness of both those cities, and its largest attraction, definitely its tallest, has become one familys rather strange inheritance. My name is larae harguess, and my father, Willis Herron, set out to build the worlds tallest thermometer. Hi. Im jamie. Hi, jamie. Im larae. Nice to meet you. Its big. It is the worlds tallest thermometer. Well, if someone figured this roadside attraction would get you to stop and gawk, it sure as heck worked on me. Hi. How are you, janice . Im jamie. Hi. Nice to meet you, jamie. Today, larae and her sister, janice neisess, run a gift shop in the shadow of the tower. They sell thermometer tshirts, thermometer hot sauce, even thermometer thermometers. Yes, this really is the worlds tallest thermometer. And it would be strange enough just to inherit a 130foot thermometer in the middle of the desert, but whats as remarkable is the mission that larae and her family took on after her father died in 2007. Youre sure . I got to get a closer look. I tell laraes husband, bill, im ready for a challenge. Ive been training to climb to the top. Im going in. Okay. Why did he say it that way . I just bombed it this morning for the spiders. Spiders. Im a girl of nature. Black widows. Theyre little spiders. Black widow spiders. Yeah. I think youd better close it up. Theyre small. Even this host has to draw the line at black widow spiders. The story of this strange inheritance begins with a young man who falls in love with the california desert. In the early 1950s, after service in the air force and college, Willis Herron heads west from his home in kentucky to join his father in barstow, california, where his dad has become a restaurateur. He and his father had a couple restaurants in barstow, and he was successful. My dad was very personable. Successful enough that a local businessman offers to partner with young willis on an allnight diner in baker, 60 miles up the road. You may think a place known as the gateway to death valley is an unlikely spot for an eatery, but willis sees it differently. He knew that people would need to stop between los angeles and las vegas. At a time when few cars have airconditioning, baker is a perfectly located oasis, a spot for gamblers to cool off from the desert heat. Pretty soon, willis burger joint, called bun boy, is a landmark. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, winners drive in to celebrate, and losers drown their sorrows in. Strawberries . Fresh strawberry pie that was what it was known for. It was definitely kind of an americana diner the big breakfasts but also, you know, the burgers, the specialty sandwiches and things like that. In 1971, willis falls in love with barbara sturm, who comes with a house full of daughters larae, janice and terri just the kind of work force you need for a family restaurant. We all started as bussers, and we did dishwashing, and we did waitressing. This is the menu, right, of bun boy . The original. The burger was 3. 95, and it came with coleslaw, french fries, or potato salad. Thats a steal of a deal and a smiling waitress. [ laughs ] willis will eventually buy out his partner and become the biggest fish in the towns very small pond. We had three restaurants, two motels, two gas stations, a grocery store, pretty much within a block. Baker booms. In the late 70s, willis buys a nice house in silver lake, a Desert Community 75 miles away. But soon business in baker sputters. Cars are all airconditioned. Gamblers can drive straight through and arrive in vegas cool and comfortable. Willis needs a gimmick, something to grab their eye and their wallet. He gets his inspiration in an unlikely Spot International falls, minnesota. They had the worlds tallest thermometer, and it was 22 feet high. And so i think he saw that and the wheels started spinning. 22 feet . Pshaw. His thermometer will mark the highest temperature, 134 degrees, ever recorded in death valley. It will soar as high as baker is hot. I know that my mom recalls saying, have you lost your mind . [ laughs ] 134 feet . My dad looked at her with those blue eyes and said, oh, honey, come on. This will be fun. In 1990, willis cuts a deal with yesco, a Las Vegas Company that builds and finances those big, eyecatching signs. If you asked my mom, she would think that he was a little crazy to spend 750,000 to build a thermometer. 750,000 . Yes. Yes. A little crazy . That may be putting it mildly. Willis plunks down 150,000. Yesco does a lease deal to finance the other 600,000. By the fall of 1991, construction is wrapping up. Despite the expense, the challenges, and the questions about his sanity, willis pops for a lighting ceremony. He bills it the great turnon. The invitations had gone out. Thanksgiving day, hes out playing golf with his grandson. And he comes home, and my mom says, honey, sit down. I have something to tell you. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Whats the most visited tourist attraction in the United States . Is it times square, walt disney world, or the Las Vegas Strip . The answer in a moment. If youre taking multiple medications, does your mouth often feel dry . A dry mouth can be a side effect of many medications. But it can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath. Thats why theres biotene, available as an oral rinse, toothpaste, spray or gel. Biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy too. Remember, while your medication is doing you good, a dry mouth isnt. Biotene, for people who suffer from a dry mouth. So, what is the most visited tourist attraction in the United States . The answer is a, new yorks times square. Nearly 42 Million People visit annually. November 28th, 1991, near death valley, california. At the time, Restaurant OwnerWillis Herron is just weeks away from the grand opening of his monumental roadside attraction, a 134foot thermometer. But suddenly, a freak storm gathers over the mojave desert. Thanksgiving day, we got a devastating phone call that the wind had come through here and actually blown the thermometer over. Oh, no. Was anyone hurt . Nobody was hurt or killed. Herrons dream for restoring the economy of the tiny town of baker appears crushed. Its a bitter lesson in the power of nature, one that might have defeated a lesser man, but not Willis Herron. It was insured, so he said, put it back up. To keep it from having that problem again, we filled that center pipe with cement. 226 tons of cement, to be exact. In october 1992, Willis Herron flips the switch, and the worlds tallest thermometer lights up. It flashes, and its there. You could hear my mom crying in the background, going, oh, thank god. So you were only 2 years old when it was built . Yeah. Its funny. Theres all these cute pictures of us as kids. To his grandson dan neisess, this towering monument establishes willis as a legendary figure, a smalltown tycoon. Im sure that the amount of money it took to put up the thermometer was paid back 10 times. Willis brainstorm helps make him a rich man. It brought business to baker and people visiting and stopping and seeing it as kind of this unusual landmark in the middle of the desert. Willis also still owns two restaurants his flagship bun boy and a coffee shop plus two motels, four gas stations and a country store. He and his wife, barbara, are practically lord and lady of baker. Anytime anybody ever needed anything in the family, it was kind of like the understanding that theyd go talk to my grandfather, and hed help you out. But willis knows the good times cant roll forever. In 2000, his health was declining. He was 75 years old. He knew it was time to just sell it all. My mom actually didnt want him to sell the thermometer, but he didnt want her to have to worry about anything, finances or anything. So he puts it all on the market the motels, restaurants, gas stations, and the worlds tallest thermometer. He finds a buyer who wants it all and will assume the lease on his signature attraction. Willis takes back mortgages on the thermometer property and his other businesses. Hes expecting a nice income stream well into the future. For 18 months, the new owner makes regular payments, and willis enjoys his retirement. But then things get complicated. The new owner is struggling. He wants out. So in 2006, to protect his investments, willis finds another buyer. But the new owner needs a bank loan and wont get it unless willis puts up the thermometer property as collateral. If the loan is not paid off, the bank can take it. Then, in july 2007, Willis Herron dies at the age of 82. Little did he know that the economic downturn would hit in 2009, 2010. Selling continuing after dropping 1,000 points over the last week. So that dream of his that mom wouldnt have to worry about anything changed quickly when people didnt pay the bills. As the Restaurant Business fails, the new owner cuts back on maintenance of the thermometer. Then he stops making payments on the lease. Soon the spire that willis erected to draw people off the highway advertises only bakers economic distress. It had been vandalized. I was hearing from the residents out there that it was an eyesore because it wasnt working. Some people even wanted it torn down. The Herron Family is shocked. My mom saw it a couple years ago, and she was devastated. Tell me about that day. There was a couple standing in front of it taking their picture, and she stomped right over to them and started apologizing profusely for the way that the thermometer looked. And she vowed on that day to have it completely restored and brought back to its glory. Barbara has inherited only a mortgage on the property. Thats hardly enough to make good on her vow. So wont she be better off cutting her losses . Sometimes in life, we dont appreciate things until theyre gone. Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. What is americas oldest roadside attraction . A sixstorytall elephant, a 10ton ball of twine, or a 94foot replica of the Leaning Tower of pisa . The answer in a moment. We always were told we were german. We were in a german dance group. I wore lederhosen. So i just started poking around on ancestry. Then, i decided to have my dna tested through ancestry dna. It turns out im scottish. So, i traded in my lederhosen for a kilt. Of fixodent plus adhesives. They help your denture hold strong more like natural teeth. And you can eat even tough food. Fixodent. Strong more like natural teeth. Fixodent and forget it. So, what is americas oldest roadside attraction . The answer is a. Lucy the elephant has been stopping traffic in margate, new jersey, since 1881. Constructed of wood, she is 65 feet high and weighs in at 90 tons. Tell me about the motels, dan. Well, my grandpa owned a lot of motels here in baker. It was kind of a big business back then. Dan neisess is reminiscing about his grandfather Willis Herrons smalltown Business Empire here in baker, california. Before his death in 2007, willis thought hed unloaded it all, including his beloved roadside attraction, the worlds tallest thermometer. A few years later, however, the businesses are shuttered. Willis loans to the new owners are in default, and the thermometer is a wreck. Some locals want to tear it down. Dan is just one of the family members who rally behind his grandmother barbaras crusade to reclaim and restore it. Its a weird thing that probably doesnt make any sense to anybody, but it matters to some people. It matters to a lot of people, i guess more than we ever thought. Barbara herron, whos in her 70s and has Serious Health problems, lives 90 miles away and is in no position to deal with the layers of deeds, mortgages, notes, and leases that her husband attached to the holdings he left her. Her daughters jump in to help, but larae is a School Guidance counselor, and janice is a teacher. This business stuff aint their bag. As im looking through all the pages of the transactions for your family to stay involved with the thermometer, im wondering how complicated is it now . Whats the deal . Were not gonna win businesswomen of the year awards. On this transaction, no. You might not. No. The sisters know this if their mom wants to wrest back control of their strange inheritance, shell have to fund a bailout. Yeah, she took it out of her savings to do this. In her 70s . Mmhmm. Was that the right decision, janice . Yes, it was. I think so. I got to wonder Barbara Herron wants to redeem a pile of bad debt on distressed properties, including that thermometer, in a town whose best days may be in the rearview mirror. But this was not done for business. This was done for the heart. And we wanted to bring back my dads legacy. Step one yesco, the company that built and financed the thermometer, agrees to write off its debt and relinquish any claim on the structure. Step two barbara forecloses on the thermometer property. Step three she pays off the bank that still has a lien on it. Finally, Willis Herrons pride and joy is back in his family, free and clear. Step four may be the hardest part getting the darn thing working again. For that, its back to yesco. We ended up having to put a new computer in it, new drivers, software, and new l. E. D. Lighting. So how much did it cost to fix the thermometer . About 150,000. Family members, most of whom live a couple of hours away, take rotating shifts in baker to protect the tower from vandals. Heres where weve been the last four months. What . Yeah. You said you lived on the property. I thought there was a house. Youve been living in this . This is it. Willis grandson, dan, a recent lawschool graduate, takes a break from job hunting to help set up the gift shop. I painted everything, and i fixed the drywall, and. I dont know. All kinds of stuff. Family members dont get paid. Profits from the shop barely cover the electric bill for the thermometer. Nevertheless, barbara has shelled out more than 330,000 to get the thermometer back and get it working. The last big question if she rebuilds it, will they come . Thats next. Now back to strange inheritance. Its october 2014. And we do take cash. Were taking some cash. Here in baker, california, even ive been caught up in the excitement. We have these heat and chill activated worlds tallest thermometer cups. They make great stocking stuffers. Okay. As Willis Herrons family celebrates their strange and hardwon inheritance. Despite her Serious Health problems, willis widow, barbara, comes to baker in style. Heres my baby girl. Today is the rededication of the worlds tallest thermometerd across the mojave desert. Thank you. Over 40 years ago, Willis Herron, he had a dream. And my mom kept her promise, and she spent her savings to repair the thermometer and get it back into its glory, where it should be. Dedicated on this saturday, october 11th, 2014, to willis and Barbara Herron, original owners and founders of the worlds tallest thermometer. [ cheers and applause ] i watched your face, and your smile said everything. Yes. I am very proud. Ive got three girls, and im very proud of all of them. Theyve done a very good job. And theyre making sure their kids understand the importance of this monument to the memory of the man they loved. Hey, you. We said, remember this day. Remember that this is as much your family. Were gonna be gone one day, and we want you to keep this in the family at all costs. It needs to stay in the family. It feels like giving back to my grandfather, who had been so generous to all of us all our lives, you know, and to be able to say thank you. No doubt from bun boy to motels to that crazy thermometer, Willis Herron of baker was a classic american success story. But theres one big chance he missed. Back in the early 1950s, he ran into a fellow kentuckian at a restaurant convention, a nicely dressed fella named harland sanders. Yeah, colonel harland sanders, who wanted to let willis in on the ground floor of his own new enterprise, kentucky fried chicken. But willis turned the colonel down. Fried chicken . He said. Nah, thatll never catch on. Willis always told that story with a hearty laugh. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance, and remember you cant take it with you. Do you have a strange inheritance story youd like to share with us . Wed love to hear it. Send me an email or go to our website strangeinheritance. Com. A sailor who was with jfk aboard pt109. The young mans mother begins a correspondents with the future president. I was shocked. The letters are tucked away for years. They could be of historical value, and worth a lot of month. This is a pressure that surfaces that no one knew existed. If they could prove they are real. The signatures look authentic. This is eye real signature . This is a real jfk si signat. Will bidders open their wallet . Looking for 100. 110, now 120. Jamie i am jamie colby, i am on my way to fall river, massachusets about an hour south of boston, i am going to meet a man whose strang strange inher 0 begins with his family powerful connection to a future preside president. I am Dennis Harkins, my mother passed in 1990, she left us with correspondents regarding our uncle harold who was lost in South Pacific during world war ii. Jamie i am jamie. What is this place . Our en eithe inheritance. The ship, lets check it out. Reporter battleship code museum here has two of last remaining pt boats from world war ii, his uncle harley, joined navy in 1941. He was the typicalismish younger brother. Then a month later here will pearl harbor. With u. S. At war, harl is shipped to the South Pacific, he puts in a request to join a pt boat crew, which means patroler to meado torpedo, and they had twin machine gun turrets. They could lay low in the water, wait for the enemy ships to pass, then attack with the torpedos. The Museum Curator shows me around, tight quarters. Quarters. Why the moss quito mosquito fleet. They could infection you with malaria, they were deadly and fast. Jami