I have tried to track this one down to its beginnings; the oldest recording that I am aware of is by The Leake County Revelers, a Mississippi string band, about 1928. ASCAP credits Bob Miller as the author, BMI says Edward Daniel Barnes and Mark D Rubin, a Boomer's Story page gives Laurence Wilson credit, 1936. Given the date of the Revelers' recording, I tend to doubt all of those claims.

It is related to Run Mountain another old time song performed by J E Mainer among others. It is frequently performed at the Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View, Arkansas.