Brown Family says goodbye to Lone Oak Campsites

Abraham (Bucky) Brown was a farmer with foresight. Back in 1964, when family farms were declining and selling out, he turned his East Canaan farm into a campground. It was incredibly successful over the years, hosting thousands of camping families, with a focus on their tag line of “Quality Recreation Through Family Camping.”  For the past 40 years, Brown’s sons Peter and Barry, and Barry’s wife Jacolyn, have overseen the operation, which has now grown to a total of 469 campsites in fields and hills at the foot of Canaan Mountain.

After 60 years in business, the Browns have decided to retire. In September they announced the sale of Lone Oak Campsites to Modern America Campgrounds, a company that owns 25 other campgrounds throughout New England. Modern America will take over operations on Nov. 1 and they reportedly plan to keep the same Lone Oak name, staff and family activities that the Browns have provided for decades.

As the Browns say goodbye to Lone Oak, these photos capture some of the highlights of the past 60 years of service to the people of Canaan and surrounding areas.