When you’re planning a move to Chattanooga or even if you’ve lived here a while, it’s good to know a little about the city. You probably already know that it’s a great place located in southeastern Tennessee. You may not know that it’s actually Tennessee’s fourth largest city or that it’s full of fascinating history. Get to know more about our town with these ten fun facts about Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1. First Coca-Coca Bottling Company
While Atlanta is considered the home of Coca-Cola, since it was invented there, Chattanooga is home to the world’s first Coca-Cola Bottling company. Two lawyers bought the bottling rights in 1899 from Coca-Cola owner Asa Candler for $1. Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead then opened the first bottling company at 17 Market Street, the current location of Patten Parkway.
2. MoonPies
Chattanooga was the birthplace of the tasty snack cake, the MoonPie. A coal miner asked a Chattanooga Bakery traveling salesman for a snack “as big as the moon” in 1917 and the MoonPie was soon born. The home of the MoonPie is on Manufacturers Road and, over 100 years later, is still producing the snack cake.
3. Chattanooga Choo Choo
No list of fun facts about Chattanooga would be complete without the story of the Glen Miller Orchestra and its song, “The Chattanooga Choo Choo.” It won the first gold record awarded by the music industry and became the number one song across the US on December 7, 1941. Selling more than one million copies, the song remained at number one for nine weeks on the Billboard Best Sellers charts.
4. First Miniature Golf
The first patented miniature golf course was created in 1927 by Rock City Gardens founder Garnet Carter. Tom Thumb Golf on Lookout Mountain was originally intended to attract traffic to Carter’s hotel.
5. The Battle of Chattanooga
During the Civil War, Chattanooga was an important area. The Battle of Chattanooga was made up of three different conflicts: the Battle of Orchard Knob, the Battle of Lookout Mountain, and the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
6. Underground Chattanooga
Another of the fun facts about Chattanooga involves a mystery of sorts. Throughout the city, there are various doors that lead nowhere, windows that open to brick walls, and underground tunnels. One theory is that Underground Chattanooga came about after the city streets were raised in the 19th century after heavy flooding.
7. World’s Fastest Internet
Fast internet service is highly desirable but not always available. Chattanooga was actually the first city in the world to bring gig internet speeds to its customers. The Electric Power Board (EPB) in Chattanooga offers speeds of 1Gbps, which is incredibly fast as compared to the average US download speed of 25.86Mbps. EPB has invested heavily in infrastructure and as a result everyone is able to benefit from the increased internet speeds provided by fiber optics connections.
8. Lookout Mountain Views
Lookout Mountain stands along the Tennessee state line, on the southernmost end of the Cumberland Plateau. From the top of the mountain, at 2,389 ft, on a clear day, visitors can see seven states: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and, of course, Tennessee.
9. Signals and UFOs on Signal Mountain
One of the fun facts about Chattanooga is that, yes, signals really were sent from Signal Point at the top of Signal Mountain. Also located on the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau, Signal Mountain was used by Native Americans to send smoke signals to people across the Tennessee Valley. Union troops also used it during the Civil War as a communication station.
A UFO landed on Signal Mountain as well, thanks to a local resident who built the flying saucer in 1973. At the height of the UFO craze, Curtis King built the UFO along a switchback going up Hwy 127. The structure is actually a house that cost $250,000 to build.
10. Famous Natives and Residents
Chattanooga is home or was the birthplace of a long list of now-famous people, including blues signer Bessie Smith, R&B singer Usher, actor Samuel Jackson, actor Leslie Jordan, and NFL players Reggie White and Peyton Manning.
Call Fox Moving & Storage Chattanooga for Help with Your Next Move
Chattanooga has aa lot to offer. If you’re considering a move to, within, or even from Chatannoga, Fox Moving & Storage is here to help. Our skilled Chattanooga movers can help you from start to finish! A final fun fact is that you don’t have to stress about your next move, whether coming from another location or moving locally within Chattanooga. Our expert movers are ready to help with the expertise and the experience to safely move to your new home. We also offer new, clean moving boxes and packing materials when you want to do your own packing. Call us at 423.451.8584 for a free, no-obligation quote!