Explore Chattanooga Spring 2022

Spotlight | WHAT TO SEE

5 Can’t Miss Moments AT THE INTERNATIONAL TOWING & RECOVERY MUSEUM O riginally housed in a tractor trailer that traveled the country, the International Towing & Recovery Museum celebrates an industry often overlooked. Founded by Friends of Towing, the museum found its permanent home in Chat tanooga in the early 1990s. The Scenic City is, in fact, the birthplace of the tow truck. It was a perfect fit. Today the museum offers a unique look at relics from the history of the towing industry. Home to 24 trucks, plus histor ic golf carts and pedal cars, the collection ranges from models made in the early 1900s to a 2001 pink freightliner. Here’s what not to miss.

1. The History of Ernest Holmes. A Chattanooga native, Holmes invented the tow truck in 1916 after a frustrating attempt to help get a friend’s flipped truck out of a ditch. He outfitted a Cadillac with a pulley system in his garage, which was just a few blocks from where the museum is located today. 2. The 1940s Diamond-T 969WWIIWrecker. Manu factured locally, this vehicle became a part of the Red Ball Express, a convoy that moved supplies for Allied Forces. “This was on the beaches of Normandy and traveled through World War II as the allies pushed the Nazis back,” says the Towing Museum’s Nyle Vincent. 3. TheWorld’s FastestWrecker. This orange and white Chevrolet Silverado registered 130 miles on the straight away at Talladega Superspeedway in August 1979. Its av erage speed around the track, a world record, was 109.33 mph. The feat literally melted the tires, which prevented any attempts at a second run.

Spring 2022