One of the most infamous urban legends of Dallas tells of a woman in white who appears at night on the road near the picturesque White Rock Lake. In the headlights, the girl looks thoroughly soaked. If you offer her some help, she agrees and even tells you the address of her destination, but at the end of the trip, she mysteriously vanishes. dallaska will tell you more about this mysterious stranger and why she appears in Dallas.
Background
White Rock Lake is a man-made lake, but prior to it, there were several farms owned by the Daniel and Cox families on this site. Keeping the household requires a lot of water, therefore, in 1910, because of the drought, a lake was created in order to have constant access to water. Over time, new houses began to appear on the lake shores, turning this place into a popular outing destination.
The city’s population was gradually growing, thus, the need for water increased. That is why since 1952, the authorities have banned swimming in the lake. However, Dallas residents have their own version of why you shouldn’t go near the water. The story goes that a ghost called the Lady of the Lake lives here, who rests by day at the bottom of the lake and by night swims under the boats. She comes ashore and heads to the nearby road to find people who will give her a ride.
What the legend tells
One of the most famous versions of the legend is the story of Anne Clark, who became the first writer to publish this legend under the title “Ghost of White Rock”. It was included in the 1943 collection of the Texas Folklore Society, “Backwoods to Border”.
According to this legend, in 1952, a young couple was returning at night after a holiday. Driving past the lake, they noticed a female figure in the middle of the road with loose wet hair dressed in a white tattered sloppy dress. Her eyes were huge, as if frightened. The man asked if she needed a ride, and she positively nodded. Then they opened the back door and asked her the destination and the lady in white gave the address.
The journey passed in silence, only the sound of water dripping from the woman was heard. When they reached their destination, they saw an old house on an overgrown lawn. It seemed that it was abandoned. When the man and woman looked at the back seat, the girl had already disappeared, leaving only a wet trail.
Somewhat disconcerted, the couple decided to enter the house. They knocked on the door and an old man opened it. They told him all they had experienced, and the owner of the old house replied that the girl they had picked up on the road was his daughter. She had drowned three weeks ago after falling off a boat on White Rock Lake. He also said that they were not the first to see the girl.
Who was this mysterious girl?
According to the Watermelon Kid website, there have been recorded deaths of at least two women whose appearance matches the description of the Lady of the Lake.
One of the lake’s victims was Mrs. Frank Doyle, who committed suicide on July 5, 1935. Before she took her life, she left a suicide note for her sister Louise Ford Davis, who immediately called the police after reading it. Patrol cars rushed to the lake to prevent the tragedy, but they were late, as the woman was already dead. She was pulled to the shore and given CPR but could not be reanimated. This incident was reported in the Daily Dallas Times Herald. However, there was no mention of what Frank Doyle was wearing that day.
Another woman who drowned in the lake was Rose Stone. It turned out that she also committed suicide.
It is unknown whether Louise Davis or Rose Stone could be the Lady of the Lake because the story has circulated for many decades. As a result, some details were omitted while others were added. Yet, this legend remains an integral part of the cultural heritage of the city, and the Lady of the Lake has already become a symbol of the park.