$10K offered for return of famed Trout’s neon sign

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It has become a holy grail of sorts to fans of the Bakersfield Sound, that local brand of rollicking honky tonk: The Trout’s neon sign, which hung for decades outside the now-defunct Oildale saloon.

The sign came down in May 2017 in order to undergo repairs, according to then-general manager Thomas Rockwell, and it hasn’t been seen in public since.

Well, the time has come to start looking harder. At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Kern County Museum made it official: it is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the return of the sign.

Why does the museum care? Because it’s their sign.

Kern County Museum executive director Mike McCoy says it’s officially stolen property, because it’s a gift from the owner of the building, which has since burned down.

The museum is offering a $5,000 reward for verifiable information about the location of the sign. It is most likely in Tuolumne County, where Rockwell now lives, McCoy said. Or the museum will pay a $10,000 reward for information leading to the sign’s return or recovery.

Do you know where the sign might be? Call Private Investigator Paul Lopez at (661) 205-4121.

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