1,000 Feet of Neon

This very interesting building was built by Coka-Cola Company in 1915 and sold to Western Auto in the 1920's, Western Auto proudly put up a sign on the roof with 1,000 feet of neon and 2,500 bulbs. To this day the sign still shines bright over the old Western Auto headquarters even though it was sold in 1998. The building has been converted to lofts.













The story below is from the following source:

http:--www.examiner.com-article-former-western-auto-building-still-shining-on-the-kansas-city-skyline



It is grievous that Western Auto Supply Company is no longer a viable entity, since its history is such a compelling story--A true "I began this company, sitting at my kitchen table" kind of story.

Western Auto Supply Company, alternately known as simply Western Auto, or WASCO, was started in 1909, in Kansas City MO, by George Pepperdine, who later founded Pepperdine University. For the first twelve years, it was a mail-order only company, with the first retail store not opening until 1921.

It must have been a glorious day, in the 1920's, when Western Auto occupied the unique 1915 building at 2107 Grand Blvd, which had been built by the Coca Cola company, and had once featured Coca Cola's distinct signage on the roof.

Up went Western Auto's own distinctive sign, a large scale replica of the same signs used on their retail stores, including the giant, circular arrow, pointing customers to the door. The "Home Office" version of the sign was a bit more over-the-top than those found on Main Street USA, as it had 1,000 feet of neon and 2,500 bulbs.

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