The original 30-minute version, titled 'Worse than Terrible', was completed January 2002 and won second place in the 2002 Zoiefest Film Festival.
Worse than Terrible was re-written, including the addition of narration, an epilogue and prologue, and 4 new scenes to complete The Legend of the McLeary Mine in January 2003.
Exterior scenes and establishing shots were filmed in the San Gabriel Mountains North of Azusa at Follows Mining Camp and in the Los Padres National Forest Northwest of Gorman.
Farm building exterior scenes and establishing shots were filmed in Los Padres National Forest at an abandoned summer camp, closed sometime in the early 1990's.
The scene with the horse and rider was filmed at Inner City Slickers Ranch in Aqua Dulce, a non-profit charity that invites inner city children to come out and learn to ride and care for horses.