The Dunlap coke facility, which converted coal mined atop Fredonia Mountain into coke for use in blast furnaces in nearby Chattanooga, brought drastic change and modernization to Dunlap and the central Sequatchie Valley, the economy of which had long been based on subsistence agriculture.

The relatively steep walls of the Plateau rise roughly 1,000 feet (300 m) above the valley floor, which is traversed by the Sequatchie River.

Fredonia Mountain, a section of the western valley wall, rises steeply a few miles west of Dunlap.

The ovens and surrounding park are located on Mountain View Road, just under a mile west of downtown Dunlap.

Once the coal was ready, the side window would be sealed with clay, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) opening to allow the entry of air.

The process, which essentially involves heating bituminous coal in a closed chamber to remove its volatile material, took about 72 hours.

At the end of the process, the clay seal was broken, and the coke was removed and placed on a train for shipment to an iron furnace in Chattanooga.

[4] By 1902, Douglas had constructed the first 50 coke ovens, developed several coal mines, built the incline railway, and had established a company town with a commissary and clubhouse.

By the 1980s, all that remained of the Dunlap operations were the ovens, a slate pile and coal washer ruins, two company houses (drastically modified), and the clubhouse.

With the help of hundreds of volunteers, the association cleared tons of trash from the area, and the Dunlap Coke Ovens Park opened in 1987.

In 1989, the park received $71,000 (~$151,875 in 2023) from the estate of Rhea County historian David Henry Gray, which it used to reconstruct the commissary on its original foundation.

[7] Along with the museum, ovens, and amphitheater, Dunlap Coke Ovens Park includes a coal mine replica with mining machinery on display, the ruins of the 1906 coal washer, a replica of the Dunlap depot, a caboose, and various park shelters.

Local pickers played an integral role in the development of the park from the beginning, providing effort, connections, and entertainment to help with clean-up, construction, and fundraising.

The title of the film refers to a song written by Ed Brown, the festival's music director and an original member of the historical society.