Brookdale Family Campground turned 30 in 2008. It also, unfortunately, had to say farewell to a family who have been long-term, seasonal campers for more than 32 years!

Pat and Norm Wilson started camping here on the July 4 th weekend of 1976! According to Pat Wilson, they have camped here as seasonal campers ever since that weekend. "We could always count on the fact that Brookdale Campground was a family campground that would maintain a family atmosphere," Wilson said. Their sons Mark and Rory were teenagers when they started camping at Brookdale, and their adult daughter and her husband, according to Mrs. Wilson, would come to camp on weekends on the campsite next to them.

"Dates don't often mean anything to people," Wilson stated, "but our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren have all camped here with us." Mrs. Wilson went on to add, "In fact, our oldest grandson, has come to visit us and camp with us at the campground ever since he moved to Florida as an infant. Our family all came to see us here this summer as we celebrated 58 years of marriage."

When the Wilson Family came to what is now Brookdale Family Campground, it was known as Brookdale 1914 Campground. The 1914 name was taken from the year on the big red barn that was here at that time. The McClemens family originally purchased the land from the Holland Land Company in 1893 and then built the barn and homestead in 1914.

In 1945, the Roae family purchased the property and turned the farm into an auction barn and built ponds for a fish hatchery where they raised and sold flathead minnows for fishing in Pymatuning Lake. In 1978, they turned the auction barn and farm into a campground that had about 30 campsites at that time, according to Mrs. Wilson.

When the Smoreys bought the campground in 1983, it had grown to about 60 campsites. At that time, the barn served as the main building complex for the campground with roller-skating in the upstairs until it burned down in 1984. The campers helped rebuild the main building, which serves the local community and campers with a convenience and camp store. The building also houses a recreation hall, game room, restrooms, showers, and laundry facility for the campers' use. They also added 100 campsites to the campground during their ownership.

Mrs. Wilson stated, "We've seen many changes over the 32 years we've camped here. We of course camped here through the fire and loss of the barn, and the rebuilding of the new main building. The roads are greatly improved, the new upper bathhouse was added, and the campground has continued to grow to 165 campsites from the 30 campsites it had when we came here. That's a great amount of change."

The current owners, Tim and Robyn Chilson, bought the campground in October of 1999. They have continued to expand the campground, adding ten additional 50 amp campsites, another rental cabin, a mini golf course, a WIFI hotspot, and now sewer service to all seasonal campsites and to two additional rows of pull-through campsites.

According to owner Tim Chilson, "It's very hard for my wife and I to see those folks leave at the end of this season. They've been here since before Brookdale Campground was a campground. They give new meaning to the term "long-term campers." They have been here through three different owners, and have had four generations of their family camp here. They aren't just campers, they are wonderful people who have made many, many friends here. Our seasonal campers, our weekend campers, and we will surely miss them. We wish them well and many, many more healthy and happy years together."

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@brookdalecampground.com