Honoring the legacy of Chattanooga native, Ernest Holmes, inventor of the tow truck in 1916, the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum is up and running at Fourth and Broad, a few blocks from Holmes' old garage.

After struggling to pull a friend's horseless carriage out of the ditch, Holmes had the idea to bolt a tripod of poles on the frame of a 1913 Cadillac, attach a pulley and run a chain from the back -- the world's first tow truck.

Friends of Towing, comprised of 350 members in 21 countries, worked for a decade to build the museum, which started as a traveling exhibit. "This honors not only Mr. Holmes, but the industry he started and the hardworking men and women who carry it on today," says the curator.

The $1.5 million hall was built with donations, mainly from towing professionals.

People have donated or loaned the museum all manner of vehicles (like a 1947 GMC Bubble Nose)and photographs. It also features items such as mahogany wood molds for steel wrecker parts, 200 toy wreckers and air-inflatable towers used in righting tractor-trailers. By summer, a renovated second floor will accommodate seventeen more vehicles.

"Curiosity brings people in here sometimes because they just can't believe there is a museum dedicated to something like this," said the curator. "But, I think most of them leave with an appreciation for the industry and an understanding of why it's important."

[02/25/1997]