Anna and Otto Braune

Jack & Betty Thornbury

Bill & Mary Thornbury

Barb and Brad Thornbury

Our Story
In the 1940’s, Anna and Otto Braune had a dream to create a peaceful oasis in the north woods of Wisconsin that would be a place that family and friends could escape to whenever the stress of their everyday lives got too much.  After purchasing 80 acres on beautiful, unspoiled Lost Land Lake in Hayward, Wisconsin, they started building a series of cabins, using only hand tools and elbow grease.  Over a series of years, a main house, four cabins, a fish house, boat house and out houses were built.  They named the resort Braune’s Cabins and over 70 years later, we’re proud to say, they still remain as originally built, with the exception that we now have indoor plumbing!  

Once built, the cabins became the destination for those interested in fishing, hiking, swimming and relaxing each summer.  After Otto Braune passed away, Anna continued to run the resort with the help of her sister, Elizabeth “Betty” Thornbury and her husband, John “Jack” Thornbury.  Summers would find the three on site at Braune’s Cabins, washing linens in the old ringer washer (we still have it and use it periodically!), singing hymns out by the wash lines and dipping a line in the lake in the evenings along with their guests searching for those big Muskies that Lost Land Lake is so well known for.

Eventually, Anna passed away and only Betty and Jack could be found up at the resort in the summers, relying on their son, Bill and grandson, Brad to help keep things running smoothly.  While it was important each summer to open the doors and provide a beautiful haven for people to escape to on their vacation, what the family realized was their main mission was simple: keep the resort in the family.

So when first Jack, then Betty passed away, their son Bill, along with his wife Mary, took over the running of the resort.  They made the decision when they became owners to change the name of the resort to At Eagle’s Rest and for the next twenty years it was known in Hayward by this name.  Despite the name change, the philosophy remained the same: provide clean, quality, affordable cabins for those seeking a quiet escape from the everyday hustle and bustle while keeping the resort family owned.

After the passing of his wife Mary in 2012, Bill Thornbury continued to run the resort with the help of his son Brad and daughter-in-law Barb.  In 2014, Bill decided it was time to retire from the business and passed the resort on to Brad and Barb.

For us, the third generation owners, it seemed natural to return the name of the resort back to Braune’s Cabins in honor of Anna and Otto Braune, our beloved great aunt and great uncle, who poured their heart and soul into the construction of the buildings, while preserving the natural beauty of the landscape.  

We look forward to your visit with us and hope you will share your story with us while visiting, as we place great value on family, friends and nature.  Welcome home to Braune’s Cabins.  

Barb & Brad Thornbury