In January of 2012 a comprehensive project to save our historic neon signs began. The project was spearheaded by the Relight the Night, a committee of the Old Town Pocatello Foundation. Our mission statement said in part “Historic neon signs are pieces of art that remind the community of our favorite events, places, and people. They create the magic of the night and add a burst of color during even the greyest days.”

Our first project was the historic Chief Theatre neon sign, which came back to life on Nov. 29, 2013. The sign came back to life 20 years after devastating fire took the Chief Theatre from us on March 20, 1993. Since then, Old Town Pocatello has seen 11 neon signs come back to life. We now have 25 historic signs in Pocatello and the number is still growing.

We are currently fundraising for the Fred’s Photo sign. We still need to raise $4,000 to complete this $7,000 project. Fred Cuoio opened his business at 510 E. Center St. in 1938 and operated it for 72 until 2010 when he passed way at 96. The beautiful neon sign will be placed at the Old Town Pocatello Pavilion at Fremont and Union Pacific Avenue. This will help create the “Neon Alley” we’ve been talking about over the past two years.

Other signs on UP Avenue currently include the Molinelli’s, The Whitman and Greyhound Bus Depot signs.

The Buster Brown Shoes sign was on Hudson’s Shoes at Center and Main from 1950 until about 1970. The sign was discovered in the basement of the Pioneer Block Building last winter.

The sign was donated to Relight the Night by the building owner. It is currently in storage and our plan is to place it at the southwest corner of Center Street and UP Avenue so it can be viewed as traffic headed west exits the underpass. Relight the Night must raise $8,000 to save this historic neon beauty. Buster Brown will shine brightly just 100 feet from its original Main and Center location and become part of our “Neon Alley” as well.

The Hotel Yellowstone sign is scheduled to be repaired and relit within the next month. Relight the Night has worked with the building owner to develop to a plan to repair the sign. A digital timer like those we have on many other historic neon signs in Old Town will also be installed. Like the Chief, the Yellowstone is an icon in Old Town and can be seen for miles.

Relight the Night has had the Teamsters Local 983 neon sign in storage since 2014. The Teamsters gave the sign to RTN when they moved from their office at 518 E. Center St. to the AFL Union Hall at 450 N. Arthur Ave. Last December I approached Tonya Carlson, Teamsters Secretary/Treasurer, about placing the sign on the back side of the AFL-CIO building facing Main Street. The Teamsters have recently received permission from the national AFL-CIO office to install the sign on the building. The sign was brought of storage at the Pocatello Regional Airport last week and will be restored before installation in the near future.

Relight the Night has been actively involved and worked with sign owners in the restoration and repair of ten historic neon signs since November of 2013. They include the Chief Theatre, Chopstick Café, Greyhound Bus Depot, Key Bank, Meyers Shoe Repair, Odd Fellows, Pocatello School Indian, Bannock Memorial Star and The Paris. We are also currently discussing the restoration of Harrison’s and Scott’s neon signs with the building owners and hope see those restorations in the future.

The backbone of our neon sign inventory in Old Town has always been the privately owned neon signs that have been meticulously maintained by our Old Town business owners over the years. Molinelli’s Jewelers, The Whitman, Bangs Stationary, Buddy’s, Deleta Skating Rink, Elmer’s, Maag Drug, Pocatello Electric (LED restoration of original), Reel Theatre, Garrett Freight Lines, East Idaho Home Interiors and The Office Bar and Grill must be given credit for their efforts to keep their signs shining brightly.

Relight the Night has also created an inventory of non-working historic neon signs as well. It is not likely these signs will see restoration but they still preserve the history that surrounds them. They include Cowboy Oil, Idaho Motel and Thunderbird Motel, Owl Club and others. Our thought is that if we don’t at least think about their restoration, it can never happen.

Relight the Night has received national recognition for our historic neon restoration efforts. Recently, the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati contacted us and asked us to be involved in an advisory group of 14 neon restoration efforts across the nation which will meet next year.

Neon signs are not just art and beauty. The history that surrounds our Old Town Pocatello neon treasures can never be forgotten as long as they shine brightly every night. Please support our efforts to restore Fred’s Photo and Buster Brown. Mail your contributions to Relight the Night, PO Box 222, Pocatello, ID 83204 or use GoFundMe/Relight the Night.