That's pretty much it, Peter. Clifton Clowers, Wolverton Mountain, and the daughters (actually two of them) are real, but everything else was total fabrication. I have never been to that part of the county, (pretty rugged and relatively isolated and I don't know anyone there) but I suppose that I should go just to say that I have been there.

While thinking about a response for you, I made an internet check, and found this interview with Merle Kilgore in the Wichita (Kansas) Eagle. http://www.newstimes.com/archive97/feb0697/mug.htm It tells it pretty much the way I know the story. The only error I saw in it is the reference to Van Buren. The town of Van Buren, AR is over by Fort Smith, change that to Van Buren County for accuracy.

And for those who have been deprived of hearing this gem, there is a realaudio on this page: http://www.rockinwoman.com/memorable.html It is the type that downloads completely before playing ~~ takes a bit of time, but makes for uninterrupted listening. Lots of other good listening on the page, too.

One last comment. Back when this was popular, a friend was a DJ at the Rock station in Carbondale, Illinois. I was at the station just hanging out with Rich and looking through their reject pile of 45s ~~ I ran across TWO dj copies of the song! (They had been playing it off the album, since naturally in the beginning, it was not the sort of thing they would have put into their playlists) So WCIL got one copy and I still have the other!