Wallen’s Towing recovers one of company’s old tow trucks

Wallen’s Towing recently recovered the company founder’s first vehicle.

Wallen’s Towing and Recovery has recovered one of its own.

The company founded by Luther Wallen in 1933, has bought back the 1970 Ford F600 that Danny Wallen built into a tow truck for Luther. Soon after Luther died in 1986, the truck was sold to David Watkins of Pineville.

“It was outdated so it was the right thing to do at the time,” Danny Wallen said of the decision to sell the truck.

Daniel, Dylan and Danny Wallen with the recovered truck.

In an effort to preserve the company’s history, Daniel Wallen said he has been on a quest to find such relics and bring them home. To date, 10 of the old trucks are parked among the working equipment at the company lot on U.S. 25W.

“About 10 yeas ago, we started calling around southeast Kentucky trying to find the truck,” Daniel said. “A couple weeks ago, Watkins stopped in and asked if we were still interested in buying it back.

Danny, his son, Daniel, and the fourth generation, Dylan, made the trip to the Ferndale community of Bell County a week ago The truck was parked in a wooded area on a farm.

“The guy who had it was going to start a junkyard business,” Daniel said. “When they closed it down, they left the truck sitting there.”

Daniel said the Wallen’s Towing sign on each door, along with the phone number, were still visible. Corbin city stickers remained on the right side of the windshield.

“Trees had grown up around it,” Daniel said, noting they kept the weather off of the side of the truck, preserving the signage on the doors.

Campaign bumper stickers promoting “(Jim) Stewart for District Judge,” and “(Wilbur) Bingham for Sheriff.”

Among the items found on the back of the truck was a ball pein hammer that belonged to Danny.

Danny said he was amazed to find the hammer still there, covered in leaves and debris from the trees.

Daniel said plans are up in the air at the moment, though he hopes to get the truck running so that it can be used in parades and other events to promote the business.

“We wanted to get it back because of Dylan,” Danny said, explaining that his grandson has only seen the truck in the pictures that adorn the wall of the company’s office.

“He has not stopped talking about it since we went and got it,” Daniel said of his son.