Alaska Presley and Robert Bradley made the movie possible by providing all of the operational funds for the entire production. They both decided they wanted to give back a unique opportunity to Maggie Valley.
Owner RB Coburn built Ghost Town in 1961, and immediately build Frontierland in Cherokee, North Carolina and Six Gun Territory in Ocala Florida the following year. He had three theme parks operational within 2 years.
Writer DJ Perry took actual stories and historic events and wove them into the final screenplay. He took the story of Harmon Teaster and how he lived in a cave for 7 years and the some Appalacian history of Harmon's Den and brought to life, Harmon Teaster, the great great grandfather of Dean Teaster.