Jerry Summers: Chattanooga Glass Company Monday, May 10, 2021 - by Jerry Summers
Jerry Summers
On a concrete slab in Alton Park are the demolished remains of what was once a thriving business that existed from 1901-1988.
After a Coca-Cola bottling plant was established in Chattanooga in 1899 the manufacturing of glass bottles began two years later to provide the containers for the product which would become a significant part of the manufacturing history of Chattanooga.
What would eventually develop into the Chattanooga Glass Company was started by Charles Reif to provide glass bottles for his brewery.
Said business did well until Prohibition went into effect in 1920 with the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment and it became necessary to abandon production of whiskey and beer bottles and he therefore started producing drink bottles for the soft drink industry.