THE ICONIC “WELCOME TO SIOUX CITY” SIGN, WHICH HAS BEEN A LOCAL FIXTURE SINCE 1957 OVERLOOKING INTERSTATE 29 OFF OF DACE AVENUE HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN FROM ATOP THE FORMER MIDAMERICAN ENERGY BUILDING.
THE LIGHTED SIGN WON’T BE GONE FOR LONG THOUGH.
SKIP AND CATHY PERLEY HAVE BECOME THE NEW OWNERS AND CARETAKERS OF THE SIGN THANKS TO AN AGREEMENT WITH MIDAMERICAN ENERGY AND V-TAIL LLC,
SKIP PERLEY SAYS HE AND CATHY INTEND TO REFURBISH THE SIGN AND PLACE IT IN A PROMINENT LOCATION TO CONTINUE ITS PLACE IN SIOUX CITY HISTORY.
PERLEY1 OC…….TO SAVE IT. :27
PERLEY SAYS THE SIGN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WELCOMING TRADITION FOR HIM AND OTHER RESIDENTS TO SEE ON RETURN TRIPS FROM OTHER CITIES OR VACATIONS:
PERLEY2 OC….A WELCOME HOME. :09
THE PERLEYS ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON POSSIBLE PERMANENT LOCATIONS, BUT WHILE THERE ARE MANY POSSIBILITIES, NONE HAVE BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME;
PERLEY3 OC……..HOME FOR IT. :19
AND WHILE PERLEY ISN’T NAMING A SPECIFIC SPOT FOR THE SIGN’S NEW HOME, HE HAS A GENERAL IDEA ABOUT HOW HE WANTS TO SEE IT DISPLAYED:
PERLEY4 OC………..ON A HILL. :22
HE SAYS THERE ARE PLENTY OF HILLS TO CHOOSE FROM HERE.
PERLEY HOPES TO HAVE THAT DETERMINED AND THE SIGN REFURBISHED AND BACK ON DISPLAY BY SOMETIME NEXT SPRING.
SKIP PERLEY ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK MIDAMERICAN FOR ITS SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT AND WILLINGNESS TO HELP MAKE SURE THE 84-YEAR-OLD SIGN IS SAVED, AND SAYS “NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT MIDAMERICAN’S CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THIS SIGN FOR MORE THAN SIX DECADES.”
Photos from Skip Perley & SC Museum Steve Paulson collection
