Folklore
A well-known Dallas urban legend is the story of the Lady of White Rock Lake. The tale goes that the ghost of a girl in her early 20s will appear at night, dripping wet in 1920s dinner evening wear, and a car passing along the road circling the lake will stop. The girl tells the driver she had an accident and needs to get home. The driver will then drive to the address given, and when he (or she) arrives, the girl is gone, leaving only a waterlogged seat. The driver then learns after knocking on the door of the house that the girl was their daughter—she died by drowning when she fell out of a boat on the lake at night many years ago. Some later stories report that the driver taking the girl going to the address arrives, and the house is no longer there: it was torn down years ago and is now the site of an apartment complex. Reports of the ghostly encounters were published in Dallas-area newspapers in the 1960s.
This legend is said to have been the inspiration for the bluegrass song Bringing Mary Home, written by John Duffey of The Country Gentlemen. Their version of the song made the Billboard Country Chart in 1965. The song has since been recorded by many others, including Frankie Miller, Mac Wiseman, Red Sovine, Ricky Skaggs, and Daniel O'Donnell. It is now regarded by many as a bluegrass standard.
Another Lake pastime popular with young adults was viewing The Submarine Races. When there were no curfews at the park, it became a popular spot for high schoolers wanting a deserted, yet beautiful spot for necking. Whether in a car or on a blanket, viewing The Submarine Races at White Rock Lake is still very popular.
The lake was shown on a map in the beginning of the TV show Cheaters.
Read more about this topic: White Rock Lake
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—James P. Comer (20th century)
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