If you see something in Walker County that looks like it belongs in the Shire of Middle Earth, you’ve found the Coke Ovens.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the ovens were used to turn coal into coke for foundries to use to make iron and steel. The ovens closed around the time of the Great Depression when a nearby seam of coal was exhausted.
Today, the ovens serve as a park of sorts and play host to an annual Arts & Crafts Festival in September.