Ghost Of White Rock Lake

A pale girl in a soaked white dress steps from the dark near White Rock Lake, asks for a ride home, then vanishes before the car stops—leaving only a puddle where she sat. That small, chilling detail has haunted Dallas for nearly a century, and we’re pulling the threads that keep this legend so alive.

We start by grounding the myth where it began: a man-made lake born from drought, with a spillway that drew crowds and, eventually, stories. From Anne Clark’s 1943 Texas Folklore Society account to a 1930s couple’s report of the “vanishing passenger,” the core beats repeat with eerie consistency. Local media amplified the sightings, and thousands kept overnight vigils by the shoreline. Then comes a twist that elevated whispers into headline material: Neiman Marcus window display director Guy Malloy, a respected Dallas socialite, described an encounter in 1943 that mirrors the legend point for point. His credibility gave skeptics pause and believers wind at their backs.

We also weigh the human tragedies that might anchor a ghost. City records tell of suicides at the lake, including Nora Rose Stone in 1942, fueling theories that the Lady of the Lake is not one person but a symbol stitched from many losses. Later accounts add new textures—a figure gliding over the water like a cloud, wrong turns by the old bridge, midnight knocks that end in nothing but water on the doorstep. And to bring the scene into focus, we share our own recent visit to White Rock, where the roads still narrow, the mist still clings, and the quiet can make you check the rearview mirror twice.

If folklore, urban legend, and the paranormal fascinate you, this journey through Dallas history, eyewitness accounts, and cultural memory will hit every nerve. Press play to explore the evidence, ponder the theories, and decide what you believe. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves a good ghost story, and leave a review with your take—boating accident, Nora Rose Stone, or something else entirely?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Real stories, real fear, things that don't want to be found. This is Creep Radio.

First Reported Lady In White Legend

Media Buzz And Mass Sightings

The Neiman Marcus Connection

Tragedies And Possible Identities

Modern Sightings And Home Visits

Host’s Visit And Open Questions

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Tonight's episode The Ghost of White Rock Lake. The Ghost of White Rock Lake is also known as the Lady of White Rock Lake. Back in the late 1800s, Dallas was having a water shortage. A few years later, about 1910, they decided to dam up White Rock Creek. It took them an entire year to build the dam. And it was the beginning of White Rock Lake. White Rock Lake is a small shallow lake consisting of about 1200 acres. The deepest part is only 18 feet deep. The dam has a spillway that regulates the depth of the lake. When there is rain, the extra water flows over the spillway and attracts many viewers. People start seeing a ghost. Anne Clark wrote the account of the Lady of the Lake legend, published in 1943, The Ghost of White Rock. This was included in the Texas Folklore Society's publication Backwoods to Borderer. It was in the mid-1930s when a young couple was parking at the lake. They started their car and turned on the headlights and noticed a girl standing in front of the car just a few yards away. This girl was very pale and wearing a white dress. The couple also reported that the girl was soaking wet. She walked up to the driver's side of the car and asked for a ride home. The soaking girl explained that she had been in a boating accident and wanted to go home. The girl said that she lived in Oak Cliff, which is an area of Dallas several miles from White Rock Lake. She got into the backseat of the car and they started toward Oak Cliff. As they got closer to the address, the girl in the front seat turned to talk to the girl in the back seat, but she was gone. She had just vanished in thin air. It was like she was never there. The only thing that was left was a puddle of water. The young couple continued to drive to the address that was given. They knocked on the door and a man answered. They told the man what had just happened, but he didn't seem to be that surprised about this. In fact, he said, You are the third person who has knocked on my door with a similar story this month. He informed the couple that his daughter had just drowned in White Rock Lake a few months earlier in a boating accident. This became the lady of White Rock Lake. If this happened only once, the story would have probably faded away, but it kept happening over and over again. From time to time, local newspapers would have articles about this happening again. Even radio stations like KLIF would report the ghost. People would turn out by the thousands and spend the night on the shores of White Rock Lake looking for the Lady of the Lake. This continued throughout the 60s and the 70s. A well-known, respected Dallas family encounters the ghost. In 1953, a story was written by Frank X Talbert. His book was titled The Story of the Proud Dallas Store. This is a story of Neiman Marcus. But one of the sections deals with the ghost of White Rock Lake. This book was published in 1953, but this version of the Lady of White Rock Lake happened in 1943. Guy Malloy worked at Neiman Marcus as the window display artist. He was the director. He would arrange the windows at Neiman Marcus to display new clothes. His wife also worked at Neiman Marcus and often worked by his side. It was not unusual for the Malloys to work past midnight dressing the windows, and then they would go home together about one in the morning. One night after work, Guy Malloy and his wife were driving back home, which included a trip down West Lothar Road that runs the west side of White Rock Lake. They were stopped in the middle of the road by the lady of White Rock Lake. Guy Malloy said the ghost asked for a ride back home, and she entered the back of the car only to disappear, leaving a puddle of water. But what makes this story different was the fact that Guy Malloy was a well known and respected Dallas socialite. He would have no reason to report something that wasn't true. There are many ghost spirits associated with White Rock Lake. For some reason, White Rock Lake is the location for several suicides. All well documented. November 24, 1942. A woman named Nora Rose Stone, 37 years old from Mansfield, Texas, committed suicide by drowning herself in eight feet of water near the municipal boathouse. She was discovered by Johnny Williams, who was assisting the fire department. She was wearing a sweater and a skirt and she had a note pinned to her. Many people consider Rose to be the lady of White Rock Lake. Another ghost sighting in the late 1970s. A girl who was 13 years old was driving home with her father one night after a Christmas party. They took the wrong turn and ended up at the water treatment plant on West Lothar Road. They accidentally turned right when they should have gone left. The road they were on went under an old bridge that dead ends into a park. This young girl looked up and saw a ghost standing on the surface of the water. It looked like a cloud, but it was a person moving toward the car. She screamed Let's get out of here. Her father did not see the ghost, but he did reverse the car quickly and drove out. He asked his daughter why did you scream like that? And she just replied that this was a very spooky place, and she never told her father that she saw the ghost. It wasn't till years later when the same girl, now an adult, stumbled across the article about the Lady of White Rock Lake. Until then, she didn't know that there were previous sightings. In addition to ghost wanting rides, local residents have reported front door visitors. There has been more than one occasion where people who lived around the lake got a knock at the door at night. When they answered the door, there was nothing but a puddle of water. Of course, this could just be kids playing pranks on people. However, one time a man answered his door and reported seeing a ghost, then quickly disappearing, leaving just a puddle of water. I live near White Rock Lake and I wanted to make a video. On May 6, 2019, I went out to White Rock Lake and shot a video for a few minutes just to give you an idea of what it looks like. I uploaded this video on my YouTube channel and I have a link back at my website if you would like to see it. I have to admit, it's a little spooky out there at night, and I can just imagine what it must have looked like ninety years ago when the first sightings happened, back when West Lothur was just the dirt road with no lights. Who is the ghost lady of White Rock Lake? Is it the girl who died in a boating accident? Or is it Nora Rose Stone who committed suicide in 1942? Or perhaps several girls who have lost their lives throughout the years at White Rock Lake? We may never know, but one thing is for sure, this story has not ended, and this is a great story for the Creepy Show Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Well now, have you had enough? You know you could listen to another episode of Creep Radio. Oh, don't forget to subscribe and share.