Neon, KY was founded in 1913 and was incorporated in August 1916.

It was built as a trading center for the nearby coal camps.  

Neon is located along Wright Fork about 1/4 mile above the 

junction of Wright Fork and Potter Fork forming Boone Fork.  The

original post office was called Chip which was located 1/2 mile 

north of the forks of Boone Creek.


In Neon's boom days it had as many as 100 businesses operating 

which included 4 restaurants and 7 whiskey stores.  On February 

27, 1947 a fire destroyed a business block in Neon burning two 

grocery stores, court house, jail, two cafes, two department 

stores and several apartments above the stores.  This block was 

rebuilt in 1947 with brick buildings replacing the burnt-out 

wooden stores.  Another disaster to hit Neon was a flood in 1941.  

The water flooded many of the businesses with as much as 4 feet 

of water in homes and stores. 


Neon had it's own newspaper "The Neon News."  It was established 

in 1932 and consolidated with "The Mountain Eagle", February 7, 

1952. 


In 1916 a Syrian immigrant and pack-peddler by the name of Surur 

Dawahare put up a frame store in Neon which developed into a 

chain of stores extending to Lexington, Louisville, Florence, 

and Cincinnati.  After 71 years of business the first store in 

the chain closed its doors in 1987.




Neon,KY


Neon,KY



Neon,KY



Neon,KY



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