R.B. Coburn, the founder of Maggie Valley’s iconic Ghost Town theme park, passed away in Palm City, Fla., on Tuesday, April 1.

Coburn was instrumental in the growth and development of Maggie Valley, and many long-time business owners in the Valley credit him with putting the town on the map. Ghost Town has been a landmark for Haywood County, generating hundreds of thousands of fans annually.

Coburn was born in November 1919 in Covington, Virginia.

After returning from a family vacation out West where he visited several old western abandoned ghost towns, R.B. got his inspiration and vision to build Ghost Mountain. Familiar to the Maggie Valley area, Coburn purchased Buck Mountain at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains for the park site. Construction began in September of 1960 and was completed in May of 1961.

Ghost Town closed its doors in 2002 after 41 years of successful operation. Coburn sold the property to its new owners in August 2006, who re-opened Ghost Town on May 25, 2007. As a tribute to Coburn, the new ownership is in the process of creating a Memorial Ceremony and Founders Day celebration for the 2008 season.