“Big” Bengt Erlandsson was born in 1922 in Brännehylte, Småland, and died on March 21, 2016.

He was a Swedish entrepreneur, the founder of the High Chaparral Theme Park.

The High Chaparral is a Wild West theme park and post-industrial museum of cultural artifacts and collectibles, opened in 1966 located close to Värnamo, Sweden.

Bengt parents owned a forest farm and a wood mill.

Big Bengt has contributed to starting over 1000 companies.

Erlandson interest in the Wild West was born from coming from a countryside where many had emigrated to America and from the stories they told.

Bengt went to the United States himself in 1956 and in 4 months covered 4000 km. He came back to Sweden with a lot of impressions.

At the time when the Swedish national phone company had to get rid of 200,000 telephone poles, Erlandsson took the opportunity and constructed a fort.

At that time many people started to get curious about the place, he realized its possibilities.

“Big” Bengt Erlandsson passed away at 93 yrs old.