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Parallel Lives - Journal Entry: February 26, 2024
Journal Entry: February 26, 2024
Today, as I looked deeper into the historical archives of the Dallas Library, I unearthed another piece of my great-grandmother's story. Her presence seemed to leap out at me with a vibrancy that belied the passage of time and I could almost hear her whisper, “Keep searching for me.”
The photograph that caught my eye was one of her at the age of seventeen, radiant and beaming with the confidence of youth. She was the winner of a swimsuit competition held in Dallas in the summer of 1950. Her beauty was undeniable, a timeless elegance frozen in time.
Yet, as I continued my search, I stumbled upon a record that cast a shadow over the innocence captured in that photograph. It was a ledger, meticulously detailing payments made by the woman I’d already learned was called the Queen of Frogtown. The first payments were dated in October of 1950. The realization hit me like a sudden gust of wind—what hardships could have led this captivating young woman to such a path?
My mind raced with questions, each more poignant than the last. What circumstances drove her to engage in work that must have been both physically demanding and morally fraught? Did her beauty serve as a double-edged sword, drawing the attention of Dallas elites who provided her and her parents with financial stability?
As I looked at her photo, I thought of the common life experiences we must share. We’ve both loved by many men. We’ve both given ourselves too easily.
I feel sorrow and admiration for this woman whose blood runs through my veins. Her story is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity. I can never fully understand the complexities of her life, but I’ll honor her legacy by learning as much as possible.
Today, as I looked deeper into the historical archives of the Dallas Library, I unearthed another piece of my great-grandmother's story. Her presence seemed to leap out at me with a vibrancy that belied the passage of time and I could almost hear her whisper, “Keep searching for me.”
The photograph that caught my eye was one of her at the age of seventeen, radiant and beaming with the confidence of youth. She was the winner of a swimsuit competition held in Dallas in the summer of 1950. Her beauty was undeniable, a timeless elegance frozen in time.
Yet, as I continued my search, I stumbled upon a record that cast a shadow over the innocence captured in that photograph. It was a ledger, meticulously detailing payments made by the woman I’d already learned was called the Queen of Frogtown. The first payments were dated in October of 1950. The realization hit me like a sudden gust of wind—what hardships could have led this captivating young woman to such a path?
My mind raced with questions, each more poignant than the last. What circumstances drove her to engage in work that must have been both physically demanding and morally fraught? Did her beauty serve as a double-edged sword, drawing the attention of Dallas elites who provided her and her parents with financial stability?
As I looked at her photo, I thought of the common life experiences we must share. We’ve both loved by many men. We’ve both given ourselves too easily.
I feel sorrow and admiration for this woman whose blood runs through my veins. Her story is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity. I can never fully understand the complexities of her life, but I’ll honor her legacy by learning as much as possible.
Published 26th Feb 2024
Author's Note
I spent the last couple of days at the Dallas Library doing research. It seems my great-grandmother and I share several common traits and life circumstances.
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I would wish her belated congratulations for winning that beauty contest. BTW my own (now 90 yrs old) mother would have also been 17 years old in 1950 but she was rather busy studying and working away at her nursery nursing career that ended before I was born 9 years later. She certainly didn't move in the circles where she could find herself in a beauty competition. I am sure she was a virgin when my parents married in 1956.
I wonder if the Queen of Frogtown had contacts trawling the beauty circuits to lure girls into its way of life?
Keep learning about her.
I wonder if the Queen of Frogtown had contacts trawling the beauty circuits to lure girls into its way of life?
Keep learning about her.
26th Feb 2024 7:35pm
That’s such a good point about their possible recruitment efforts. I’ll have to check it out. At the very least that would make an interesting angle for a short story I’m writing about her.
29th Feb 2024 3:21am
