1942 Lucie Brown Ballantyne - Florida Journal

State Mutual Life Assurance Co., of Worcester Mass, Inc. 1844, Frank A. Johnston, General Agent, Pittsburgh, PA., graces the leather bound cover of this small journal evidently distributed in 1927 or 1928.  Though there are scribblings from Jean, and a few copies of Virginia's autograph, primarily this journal was used in March - April, 1942, as a journal of Lucie Brown Ballantyne and her husband, Nathaniel "Nat" Wallace Ballantyne's trip to St. Petersburg, Florida.  Partially transcribed below [with my notes in brackets].  The Ballantynes often stayed at the Pennsylvania Hotel.

1942 Lucie Brown Ballantyne Journal (sample page) from Florida trip in March-April

March 6th [1942] Fri.  Agnes [Morrow] Scandrett surprised us by coming from Palm Harbor.  Nat took her out to lunch and I was going to a tea party as Mrs. Geo. Wilson's guest at the Cordova. [Agnes, 1869-1953, 1st cousin of Lucie, whose book about trip to Africa was posted here or about Agnes' father, James E. Morrow, here.]

Met Mrs. Cadmon of Toronto Ohio and Mrs. Reese a sister of Pelt.

Played cards in the eve. with Emma and Mrs. Powell.  Had dinner at Detroit.  [The first hotel in St. Petersburg, the Detroit, was built in 1888 and a restaurant was added in 1926.  It has now been converted into condominiums.  Postcard views below]

Sat. March 7th. [1942] Style show at Huntington Hotel.  Met the queen of W. Va Lenora Deemer of New Cumberland  Terrible Mob. 1800  [St. Petersburg hosted a Festival of States beauty pageant, and each state was represented by a queen.]

Detroit Hotel, St. Petersburg FL - postcard views from Florida Memory website