David Rivers Neon Art

The neon sign was one of the best visual objects in our country’s history for giving us a sense of finding that special place on the road. Today, High Def TV and huge electronic billboards have pulled the plug on neon signs but as Tennessee Crossroads discovered, there’s a family in Dickson, TN who’s not going to let anyone turn off the switch to this nostalgic art form.

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As you know Tennessee Crossroads is all about taking you to interesting destinations across the state. Well, there was a day when most of our best known places to visit were identified more for their signage than for what they were. And, the neon sign was one of the best visual objects in our country's history for giving us a sense of finding that special place on the road. Today, High Def TV and huge electronic billboards have pulled the plug on neon signs but as Ken Wilshire discovered, there's a family in Dickson who's not going to let anyone turn off the switch to this nostalgic art.

Ken Wilshire joined the Tennessee Crossroads in 2008 with a desire to tell stories about people who have found their passions in life and who would otherwise go unrecognized for their contributions to their community. Ken began his career at WREG-TV in Memphis, writing, producing and editing news stories, features and documentaries. After leaving Channel 3 he joined Fed Ex in their communications department as a writer/producer and was promoted to the department manager. Ken spent almost 25 years in operations management at FedEx and other Fortune 500 companies.