Redbrook’s story began more than 150 years ago, when Abel Makepeace built a cranberry farming enterprise so sizable that he was crowned “The Cranberry King.” In 1930, the A.D. Makepeace Company helped found the Ocean Spray co-op that has become a household name.
For some, the company is better known as an environmental advocate that helped restore a rare trout habitat near here in a stream called Red Brook. Anadromous brook trout, or “salters,” are rare fish that leave salt water for cold, fresh rivers to spawn. Working with environmental groups, the A.D. Makepeace Company cleared the brook of dams and eventually ceased cranberry cultivation nearby, helping the salters thrive.