Reddy's back in town
By Dave Dreeszen Journal business editor | Posted: Saturday, October 20, 2007
SIOUX CITY -- Lighting up a room filled with old friends and well-wishers, a Siouxland icon came out of retirement Friday.
Reddy Kilowatt, the cartoonlike metal and neon sign that long greeted visitors to Sioux City, lit up for the first time in a decade. At a ceremony in the Historic Fourth Street District, local leaders celebrated the completion of a $6,000 makeover that returned Reddy to his former neon glory.
His new home in the ISU Design West Studio is not far from where many Siouxlanders fondly remember viewing the red neon stick figure with a bulbous head, light bulb for a nose, sockets for ears and lightning bolts for his body and limbs.
Reddy was part of a larger neon sign Iowa Public Service Co. erected in 1959 atop its downtown service building. The sign, which also featured a gas flame and gold and blue tubing, proclaimed Sioux City as IPS' headquarters and welcomed visitors to town.
MidAmerican Energy Co., an IPS successor, removed a worn-out Reddy from the sign in 1996. The utility has since given the neon welcome sign at the Dace and Iowa streets site a facelift.
After hibernating in storage for a decade in the former KD Station, Reddy came back to life, thanks to a restoration project spearheaded by SiouxLandmark. MidAmerican donated Reddy to the local historic preservation group.
"Reddy was a challenge, but he clearly fit into our mission,'' Glenda Castleberry, chairwoman of SiouxLandmark, said at Friday's ceremony before Reddy was switched on again. "He is truly a Siouxland icon."
The repairs were done by Sioux City-based Kern Sign Co., which had built the neon sign. Remarkably, Kern's Darren Maurer had kept the original blueprints.
A $4,500 grant from Missouri River Historic Preservation, the local nonprofit group that jointly holds Sioux City's riverboat gambling license, helped finance the restoration. Downtown Partners provided matching funds. The Siouxland Chamber Foundation agreed to display the sign in the ISU Design West Studio.
The studio, where Iowa State University's College of Design now offers coursework, recently opened in a late 19th-century steam plant that once warmed the massive buildings on Historic Fourth Street. Dale McKinney and Nathan Kalaher, architects for the studio, incorporated Reddy into the design, placing the 15-foot-tall sign atop a flight of stairs.
"It took some creativity on their part to get this huge icon into this building," Castleberry said.
The historic preservation leader cited the building's one-time use as a power plant as one of the reasons the design studio is the "perfect place" for the re-energerized Reddy. Another reason lies with Reddy's original purpose -- to educate children about the dangers of electricity.
"He is here to be shared with the next generation, in a place of higher learning and a place of historic significance," said Debi Durham, president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.
At Friday's relighting ceremony, guests were treated to punch and Reddy-shaped cookies. The sweets were made with a 1961 IPS cookie cutter.
Among those turning out for the dedication were a number of former IPS executives, including Bev Wharton, today the president of Briar Cliff University.
"He really looks nice," Wharton told Mark Reinders, Mid-American's communications manager in Sioux City, as they looked up at the tall red neon figure.
Reddy Kilowatt, created by the Alabama Power Co., debuted nationally in 1926. In the 1950s and 1960s, the cartoon figure was frequently used as a corporate "spokesman" for more than 200 utilities, appearing on neon signs, billboards, newspaper and magazine advertising and various merchandise. In 1947, the icon was featured in a comic book and Hollywood movie.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, he retreated from the national scene as conservation replaced energy production as a national goal.
Today, Reddy's image is rarely seen. Older items with his likeness can bring top dollar on online auction sites like ebay. A Web site, reddykilowatt.org, is devoted to his history. The site is not affiliated with Northern States Power Co, which in 1998 acquired the rights to Reddy Kilowatt.
Reddy Kilowatt, the cartoonlike metal and neon sign that long greeted visitors to Sioux City, lit up for the first time in a decade. At a ceremony in the Historic Fourth Street District, local leaders celebrated the completion of a $6,000 makeover that returned Reddy to his former neon glory.
His new home in the ISU Design West Studio is not far from where many Siouxlanders fondly remember viewing the red neon stick figure with a bulbous head, light bulb for a nose, sockets for ears and lightning bolts for his body and limbs.
Reddy was part of a larger neon sign Iowa Public Service Co. erected in 1959 atop its downtown service building. The sign, which also featured a gas flame and gold and blue tubing, proclaimed Sioux City as IPS' headquarters and welcomed visitors to town.
MidAmerican Energy Co., an IPS successor, removed a worn-out Reddy from the sign in 1996. The utility has since given the neon welcome sign at the Dace and Iowa streets site a facelift.
After hibernating in storage for a decade in the former KD Station, Reddy came back to life, thanks to a restoration project spearheaded by SiouxLandmark. MidAmerican donated Reddy to the local historic preservation group.
"Reddy was a challenge, but he clearly fit into our mission,'' Glenda Castleberry, chairwoman of SiouxLandmark, said at Friday's ceremony before Reddy was switched on again. "He is truly a Siouxland icon."
The repairs were done by Sioux City-based Kern Sign Co., which had built the neon sign. Remarkably, Kern's Darren Maurer had kept the original blueprints.
A $4,500 grant from Missouri River Historic Preservation, the local nonprofit group that jointly holds Sioux City's riverboat gambling license, helped finance the restoration. Downtown Partners provided matching funds. The Siouxland Chamber Foundation agreed to display the sign in the ISU Design West Studio.
The studio, where Iowa State University's College of Design now offers coursework, recently opened in a late 19th-century steam plant that once warmed the massive buildings on Historic Fourth Street. Dale McKinney and Nathan Kalaher, architects for the studio, incorporated Reddy into the design, placing the 15-foot-tall sign atop a flight of stairs.
"It took some creativity on their part to get this huge icon into this building," Castleberry said.
The historic preservation leader cited the building's one-time use as a power plant as one of the reasons the design studio is the "perfect place" for the re-energerized Reddy. Another reason lies with Reddy's original purpose -- to educate children about the dangers of electricity.
"He is here to be shared with the next generation, in a place of higher learning and a place of historic significance," said Debi Durham, president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.
At Friday's relighting ceremony, guests were treated to punch and Reddy-shaped cookies. The sweets were made with a 1961 IPS cookie cutter.
Among those turning out for the dedication were a number of former IPS executives, including Bev Wharton, today the president of Briar Cliff University.
"He really looks nice," Wharton told Mark Reinders, Mid-American's communications manager in Sioux City, as they looked up at the tall red neon figure.
Reddy Kilowatt, created by the Alabama Power Co., debuted nationally in 1926. In the 1950s and 1960s, the cartoon figure was frequently used as a corporate "spokesman" for more than 200 utilities, appearing on neon signs, billboards, newspaper and magazine advertising and various merchandise. In 1947, the icon was featured in a comic book and Hollywood movie.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, he retreated from the national scene as conservation replaced energy production as a national goal.
Today, Reddy's image is rarely seen. Older items with his likeness can bring top dollar on online auction sites like ebay. A Web site, reddykilowatt.org, is devoted to his history. The site is not affiliated with Northern States Power Co, which in 1998 acquired the rights to Reddy Kilowatt.
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Bill Leach retired 1990 wrote on Oct 21, 2007 12:27 AM:
Someone from Alabama wrote on Oct 20, 2007 10:26 PM:
KLM wrote on Oct 20, 2007 8:29 PM:
Someone wrote on Oct 20, 2007 4:58 PM: