From Westfield Western Hampden Times and News-Letter
Wednesday, September 5, 1877
Wednesday, September 5, 1877
Blandford is as beautiful as ever this summer, though the number of visitors, as in all places of resort is smaller than last year. Mrs. Robinson* (whose house I need not commend to those who know it for homelikeness and comfort) has not her usual number of guests, but we who are here find our days passing quietly and pleasantly, varied occasionally by a drive over the hills behind Mr. Hayden's** skillfully driven horses.
The evening of the eclipse we performed a somewhat novel ceremony. At the top of a hill an eighth of a mile distant, there crops out a large rock, upon which we often seat ourselves to watch the sunset. Other places about have been appropriately named, but heretofore this spot commanding as lovely a view as any in the town has only been known as ; "the hill behind the blacksmith's shop.***
So after some discussion and many suggestions, we decided upon a name and appointed an evening upon which to christen our favorite rock. Immediately after tea a procession was formed, headed by our lively little New York girl, bearing a flag, and supported on each side by a boy carrying, one a bush stripped of its leaves, the other a spade. The rest of our household followed in a somewhat unmilitary line. Arrived at the hill, we planted the flag and bush, and then stationing our selves upon the rock, we took the different notes of the common chord of C and as harmoniously as possible, shouted the name, "Sunset Rock."
Having done this three times, Mrs. Robinson was called on and gave us a neat little speech, the bush was decked with flowers and ferns, we sang the Star Spangled Banner, the name was again "said or sung", as the prayer book has it, and our rock was christened for future ages. We stayed for a little while, looking upon the setting sun, the rosy clouds above, and darkening hills below, and then left the rock to muse alone upon its new honors.
M.M.V.
*Mrs. Robinson was Jane C. Robinson, who owned the store and house beside it. Later, W.J. Peebles built a house on the same site.
**Mr. Hayden was probably Charles B. Hayden, then running the store.
***The hill behind the blacksmith's shop." Dennison R. Loomis owned the house, now in possession of Horace Quimby. He had his blacksmith shop in the rear on the old Granville Road, now Sunset Road.
(See 1870 map of Blandford).
The evening of the eclipse we performed a somewhat novel ceremony. At the top of a hill an eighth of a mile distant, there crops out a large rock, upon which we often seat ourselves to watch the sunset. Other places about have been appropriately named, but heretofore this spot commanding as lovely a view as any in the town has only been known as ; "the hill behind the blacksmith's shop.***
So after some discussion and many suggestions, we decided upon a name and appointed an evening upon which to christen our favorite rock. Immediately after tea a procession was formed, headed by our lively little New York girl, bearing a flag, and supported on each side by a boy carrying, one a bush stripped of its leaves, the other a spade. The rest of our household followed in a somewhat unmilitary line. Arrived at the hill, we planted the flag and bush, and then stationing our selves upon the rock, we took the different notes of the common chord of C and as harmoniously as possible, shouted the name, "Sunset Rock."
Having done this three times, Mrs. Robinson was called on and gave us a neat little speech, the bush was decked with flowers and ferns, we sang the Star Spangled Banner, the name was again "said or sung", as the prayer book has it, and our rock was christened for future ages. We stayed for a little while, looking upon the setting sun, the rosy clouds above, and darkening hills below, and then left the rock to muse alone upon its new honors.
M.M.V.
*Mrs. Robinson was Jane C. Robinson, who owned the store and house beside it. Later, W.J. Peebles built a house on the same site.
**Mr. Hayden was probably Charles B. Hayden, then running the store.
***The hill behind the blacksmith's shop." Dennison R. Loomis owned the house, now in possession of Horace Quimby. He had his blacksmith shop in the rear on the old Granville Road, now Sunset Road.
(See 1870 map of Blandford).