Old money, New South

The spirit of Chattanooga

by Dean W. Arnold

John T. Lupton, the godfather of Coca-Cola bottling, and Harry Scott Probasco, founder of the “Coca-Cola bank,” guided Chattanoooga, Tennessee, with a quiet but powerful hand for decades. Generations later, the names Lupton and Probasco—and a handful of intermarried families—continue to form a controversial web of leadership for the city. 

This strategic crossroads through the mountains is the scene of ancient warpaths, the launching of the Trail of Tears, the greatest two-day battle in American history, and the founding of the world’s most popular product. From its religious and progressive tension to its cryptic, indigenous name, Chattanooga proves to be an enigma at every turn.

Journalist Dean Arnold provides a portrait of this extraordinary Southern city through interviewing fifty of its leaders, personalities, politicians, and prominent family members. He also weaves a number of historical insights from the Civil War to the Trail of Tears (launched from Chattanooga) to ancient Indian settlements and discussions on the meaning of “Chattanooga.” All this, along with the engaging conversational style, helps to make Old Money, New South: The Spirit of Chattanooga an enjoyable and enlightening read.