Casperkill Watershed Oral History Project

A view of the outdoor ampitheatre in the 1930s.  Sunset Lake can be seen in the background, through the Canadian hemlocks and Norway spruces that form the backdrop to the theatre space.

While talking with alumnae this weekend it was always fascinating to hear how much Sunset Lake has changed over time, but it was equally interesting to learn about the traditions and the features of the Lake that have persisted for many generations.

In terms of changes, alumnae seemed to remember Sunset Lake as a place that was more “wild” and better for exploring than it is today.   For example, most of the women I met who had gone to Vassar in the 1940s and early 1950s recalled climbing trees around the lake, skiing down Sunset Lake Hill, and skating on the Lake in the winter.  Today, the trees do not lend themselves to climbing, there is rarely enough snow for skiing, and the lake is often not frozen enough for skating.

Another major change, mentioned in a previous blog post (Sunset Lake: Daffodils and Goldfish), is that the area around Sunset Lake has become much more developed with the construction of Walker Field House, Shipping and Receiving, and the South Commons.  One alumna from the class of 1955 told me very seriously that, because the golf course was the only thing beyond the lake while she was there, if you “needed a secluded place to cry…that was the way to go.”

Although several things about Sunset Lake have changed, there are also many things that have remained the same over time.  Charlotte Brown Dallet (c/o 1945-4) told me that she was first introduced to the Lake in her Geology class, in which she was required make a topographic map of the Sunset Lake area.  She said that despite having to go out on the lake in cold weather the class was still a great experience, if only because her Professor’s wife brought delicious home-made cookies to every mapping session.  Today, many students still experience Sunset Lake through classes.  For example, last year, Professor Pregnall’s Aquatic Ecology class obtained algae and water samples by going out in boats on the Lake.

I was also surprised to find out that the beloved Vassar tradition of using dining hall trays to sled down Sunset Hill has been around since the early 1940s (and maybe even earlier!).  I learned from Francis Troub Roberts (c/o 1945-4) that even the term, “traying,” was used while she was at Vassar.  Ms. Roberts was thrilled to hear that the tradition is still going strong.

Finally, I learned that many of the same animals that students and community members delight in seeing and hearing today, made an impression on Lake visitors in the 1940s.  Mary Danner (c/o 1950) said that she remembers, “like it was yesterday,” seeing chickadees fledge in a tree beside the Lake.  Nancy Crane (c/o 1950) informed me that the frogs were so loud that when students put on evening drama performances in the outdoor ampitheatre (to the west of the Lake on Commencement Hill), there was a boat crew that would go around and “bop the croaking frogs with an oar.”

Photo credit: “Vassar College Class Day”, Bettman Collection, Corbis Images, 1928