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Sedona |
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Legend |
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Helen |
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Frye |
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| The Jack and Helen Frye Story |
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| Sedona's Own Exclusive Celebrity Love Story |
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| To Honor-- To Remember-- To Pay Tribute |
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| This Web Site Best Viewed With Microsoft Internet Explorer And A High Speed Connection |
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January 18, 1941 amid glaring flashbulbs of World Press Reporters, Jack and Helen Frye exit a TWA airliner at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Two of Sedona's very first celebrities, Jack Frye, founder and long-time president of Transcontinental and Western Air, and his new bride, the former Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., at the beginning of a Sedona Legend! |
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Reporters were able to interview the former Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. at the airport, of which she burbled of her new husband, "he is really what a woman dreams for, the most wonderful man I have ever met....I guess the romance really developed from my criticism of T.W.A.'s advertising. I said....'they should portray the romance and adventure of flying, instead of....comfort and speed.' So he gave my theory a test and it proved out, at least....we are married and the advertising is being changed!" The Fryes were married in Scottsdale Arizona, on January 1, 1941, in a secret ceremony. |
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This TWA press publicity photo shows the newlyweds exiting what is thought to be a TWA Skychief DC-3. This image among other similar ones ran in newspapers nationwide at the time. |
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| Sedona's First Celebrity Residents |
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This is the Official- not to mention Only- Web Site in the World,
dedicated exclusively to the lives of Jack and Helen Frye! |
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An Aviation Romance
a Tribute to the "Camelot Years" of TWA |
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| A Sedona Love Story |
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| Sedona Society In Its Infancy |
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| Born To Walk Together In The Twentieth Century as Soulmates |
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Herein you will find a historic perspective of Sedona that was nearly lost to time itself. The REAL HISTORY of
Red Rock State Park. A rich and valuable legacy which must not ever be forgotten or swept under the carpet. Sedona's history with TWA, one of the world's largest airlines and how this association helped put Sedona Arizona on the map!
Red Rock State Park, the "Crown Jewel" of the Arizona State Park system, the one time, private playground of the rich and famous. Originally owned and discovered by one of the most glamorous couples in America, and one of the greatest aviation legends this country has ever known! An association so powerful that the original identity of the property will always be known as "Smoke Trail Ranch" or the "Frye Ranch"!
Dare to delve beneath the surface and discover the hidden and suppressed history of one of the most pristine, beautiful, and most valuable real estate parcels of the Southwestern United States! Millions of park visitors each year are overwhelmed by this beautiful former ranch property once owned by the founder and president of Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) and his beautiful West Virginia wife, now you can be astounded by "the rest of the story!" |
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| Views from the Frye Ranch captured in the magical mist of a summer rainstorm, August 2006 |
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Please click on any Pictures, Logos or
Highlighted and Underlined Links! |
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| This Website was launched in the Summer of 2003 |
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The Frye Legacy-
So Vast- a Lifetime of Accomplishment! |
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| WHO? |
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William John Frye- known as Jack Frye
Corporate and Aviation Legend: His World Legacy |
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| Jack Frye is considered the "Father" of Transcontinental and Western Air, or as you may know it: Trans World Airlines (TWA). Why is this and what do we know about his life? Jack created an airline dynasty, in brief Jack had a dream and he fought for that vision for 25 long years. With a passion for flight, he created the first transcontinental air service for our vast country, and later with the development of the Lockheed Constellation airliner- the first Trans-Atlantic air service. Few people on this planet have not been affected by this great man's vision, for it is he- who envisioned the first pressurized modern airliner. Please see "His Life, Jack Frye- an Airline Legacy". |
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| As an avid entrepreneur from the onset, Jack at barely eighteen, bought into a struggling airplane enterprise in Los Angeles and became a half-owner. One year later he included two partners: Walter A. Hamilton and Paul E. Richter Jr. The operation eventually became Aero Corporation of California, and Standard Airlines. Jack served as president of both. |
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To list all the associations of Jack Frye would be quite impossible. To give one an inkling, he was inducted into Harvard Business School's "Twentieth Century, Greatest Business Leaders Hall of Fame", at no more than 1000 members Frye is well placed, having exercised phenomenal business connections and accomplishments in a very short life (only 54 years).
In 1992, William John Frye most certainly received his highest posthumous honor by being inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. As one of the greatest aviation legends in the country, this aviator-entrepreneur is now listed along side his friends and peers in this hall of fame. Wherever Jack was at Smoke Trail Ranch, or anywhere else in the world, his life was consumed with the operation and responsibility of TWA. On his shoulders rested the safety of thousands of airline passengers and the management of the employees that enabled TWA to exist! Understandably, this left little time in his short life for other endeavors in and around Sedona. To learn more about the general milestones of this amazing airline genius, please see "The Man, the Legend". |
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Helen Varner Anderson Vanderbilt Frye
A Sedona Legend: Her Legacy |
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| Helen Frye- truly a remarkable woman, married Jack Frye during the years in which TWA really matured as a world airline. Jack had just brought his friend Howard Hughes on line, and the company had access to a seemingly endless flow of capital. A time-period appropriately coined the "Camelot Years of TWA", Jack and Helen Frye were one of the first "power couples", in a time when wives were expected to be seen and not heard! Standing solidly beside her husband, Helen offered support and an innate knowledge of execution. Helen Frye was much more than a social figurehead. Previously married to a direct descendant of one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in American history, she gained much experience observing an exclusive "man's world" of money, power, and business. At the side of Jack Frye, one of the nation's most powerful and influential corporate leaders, Helen was an invaluable asset, and was treated accordingly by Jack and Howard Hughes. Please see this webpage, (Fortune Magazine article), paragraph title: "Preparing for Peace", for information about Helen Vanderbilt Frye's influence with TWA. Also please see "Her Life- the Vanderbilt Years". |
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| As a society leader in early Sedona, Helen Vanderbilt Frye forged several bridges of cultural and artistic expression. Her interest in the arts stemmed from her own talents as an artist and gifted writer. Helen strived to find support for other early Sedona artists as well. Helen's aunt in a previous marriage was Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a consummate artist and the founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art, in New York City. This added association likely influenced a young Mrs. Helen Vanderbilt toward a lifelong association with the fine arts. In spring of 1959, Helen Frye, George Babbitt Jr. and his wife, Madeline Hunter Babbitt, Nassan Gobran, and other associates, launched Canyon Kiva, which evolved into the Sedona Arts Center "Barn". The Sedona Artist's Studios is another association of these efforts. As a life-long animal lover, Helen saw the need for an animal shelter in Sedona. Earlier in life as Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., Helen was shopping on Fifth Avenue in New York City, when she noticed unsavory people beating a German Shepherd police dog in an alley. Without an ounce of fear this woman walked up to the dog, grabbed the leash and walked away to the amazement of the abusers. Sonja as Helen named the rescue, became Helen's loving companion for the remainder of her, (Sonja's), life. This experience galvanized Helen, and opened her eyes to the plight of unwanted pets. This humanity eventually resulted in her co-founding the Sedona Humane Society. Previously, with no Sedona facilities the cast-aside-pets of Sedona were housed by Helen Frye, and other founding members in their own homes at thier own expense. |
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| The first telephone service in "rural" Sedona? That came directly as associated with Helen Frye and Transcontinental and Western Air, or TWA, as we know it today! Many attempts were made by the Fryes to establish a phone link from the rural Frye Ranch to the outside world with the local phone company, which had limited resources. The matter was only resolved after Helen got the brilliant idea to send the short sighted telephone company copies of Jack's TWA telephone bills. In no time at all a dedicated phone line was installed at the TWA ranch. This primitive telephone connection was soon smoking with Jack's frequent calls to TWA, and Howard Hughes. As an entrepreneur real estate developer, Helen Varner Frye with a partner, Nassan Gobran, and other associates, developed a small portion of the Frye Smoke Trail Ranch into the beautiful "Cup of Gold Estates". Envisioned and planned for all homeowners to have unfettered access to Oak Creek the development was an early Sedona real estate success in 1955! |
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This Web Site was originally launched at Jack and Helen's
famous Smoke Trail Ranch in beautiful Sedona Arizona USA |
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| WHAT? |
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At one time, more than 700 acres of Sedona's most valuable and pristine creek front property known as the Frye, "Smoke Trail Ranch", as named by the Fryes. Currently a remaining portion of this famous ranch remains today
as Red Rock State Park.
The Frye Ranch also consisted of the adjoining Frye- Deer Lick Ranch (1941 to 1947), now as Cross Creek Ranch Estates.
In 1954, Helen Frye developed an adjoining parcel as Cup of Gold Estates.
To the north a section added in 1950 by Jack Frye, is known today as Smoke Trail Ranch Estates.
Frye landmarks include the House of Apache Fires, or the "Apache Fires" house as Jack and Helen called it.
The Wings of the Wind House and the Willow House, so named by Helen Frye.
Various other ranch buildings to include homes at the now named Cross Creek Ranch.
Sky Fires House, (now demolished) at the Ridge, in Village of Oak Creek, Sedona. |
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Frye cattle ranches outside of Sedona included the 22,000 acre Frye Sunshine Ranch, near Meteor City and Sunshine Arizona, now known as the Red Gap Ranch.
The 4500 acre, Frye- Spring Valley Ranch, north of Williams Arizona, at Spring Valley, Arizona, adjoining the Grand Canyon Railway right-a-way. By 1948, the Frye's owned over 50,000 acres of ranching property in the state of Arizona alone according to newspaper articles. Jack Frye also had sizeable ranch holdings in the panhandle of Texas as well as oil interests. In the 1950's, Jack bought the "Nevajac Ranch" at Crystal River, Florida. Mr. Frye was the first rancher outside of the King Ranch in Texas to own and breed Santa Gertrudis cattle at his Sedona and Crystal River ranches.
Sedona Airport on Tabletop Mountain, Jack and Helen Frye personally surveyed the location in the early 1940's.
Verde Valley Airport: Jack Frye acquired the land and developed it into a war-time, private-regional airport in 1941. |
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| So you thought Frye was just an airline genius? |
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Jack and Helen Frye doing what they loved most, riding on the 700-plus acre Smoke Trail Ranch in Sedona. Shown to the left in a photo from Fortune Magazine. Although the photo caption mentions the "22,000" acre Sunshine Ranch the Frye's owned between Winslow and Flagstaff, the photo was actually captured at the Frye- Deer Lick Ranch in about 1942. Current status of the Sunshine Ranch? It is known today as the 25,000 acre plus- Red Gap Ranch. In the news lately in regard to the City of Flagstaff's plan to buy this former Frye Ranch solely for the water rights. This purchase at 7.9 million, would be pittance compared to the 140 million dollars needed to develop the water source and transport it to Flagstaff. Jack Frye never bought a ranch without abundant water, this was the only reason he purchased the Sedona- Smoke Trail Ranch and certainly a major consideration in the purchase of the aquifer rich- Sunshine Ranch. The current frenzy over the water rights of this former Frye Ranch says a lot about Jack's intuition. Please see the letter written by Jack, about the Sunshine Ranch found at the bottom of this page. |
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| Why? |
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| This website has taken on a remarkable journey since its inception. Originally the work was envisioned to explore the life of Helen Frye and her association with Sedona Arizona- thus the name of the website. However, I had no idea how famous she and Jack Frye were and what they meant to each other. Eventually, I uncovered a resilient love story- divorce, and surprisingly, plans to re-marry again! These plans of reconciliation ended though when Jack was tragically killed in a violent 1959 car accident- broad-sided by a speeding drunk driver in Tucson Arizona. |
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More than 25 years ago SEDONA whispered to me- "come share my essence". Finally in 1985, I was fortunate enough to become a resident of this wonderful community. As a writer and amateur historian, I am always interested in people's stories. No one can live in Sedona without being aware of Jack and Helen Frye, TWA, and the House of Apache Fires. For 6 months during the summer and fall of 2003 I was privileged to live at Red Rock State Park, a remaining portion of Jack and Helen Frye's former ranch. I became a member of the State of Arizona's State Park Volunteer Program, living each day under the shadow of Jack and Helen's Apache Fires house and Helen's, Wings of the Wind house, I came to embrace this property and its magical history. Jack and Helen Frye are still here in spirit, their lives are imprinted on this land, they left a legacy that cannot ever be erased. Walking the acres of this former Frye Ranch, exploring the silence of the Apache Fires house, and gazing up at the Wings of the Wind I sensed this legacy deeply! This is truly the call of a writer who knows a story needs to be told. Within I felt Jack and Helen whispering to me: "tell our story, don't let our legacy fade away".
So here it is, over 5 years of laborious research and still the site grows. The information has been gathered from public records in many forms, numerous personal interviews, invaluable TWA archival documentation, Jack's baby sister and his daughter, not to mention hundreds of hours of research, to verify and duplicate records originally located in other mediums. Within this process there has been great joy in gleaning unknown tidbits of information about Jack and Helen Frye, sadly the passing years have a way of erasing people's memories and life-work.
The people that benefit the most from this Website are no other than Jack and Helen Frye, they can rest assured that their story will not be lost, forgotten, or buried by the sands of time. This is a work of love and respect for both of these unique souls. In all these years, no one has ever attempted to gather this information together into an easy-to-peruse body of work until now! Glamour, power, and a circle of friends which included not only the crown heads of Europe and some of the very highest political figures of our generation, but as well wonderful everyday people. Jack and Helen truly did walk the path of "Camelot"! |
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| HOW? |
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Thought you knew the history of TWA and the story of Jack and Helen Frye? You won't know "this" story!
Amazed- surprised- you might even shed a few tears, but in the end you'll be bowled over by the incredible documentation- and dedication- of more than 500 pages of information- all found in this free online E-Book! So fix yourself a drink- find a comfortable place to sit- step back in time- and explore the infancy and romance of TWA, with Jack and Helen Frye- this is "THEIR" story! To start, click on any of the key words which follow: |
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"Helen Vanderbilt Frye" lived a remarkable life in a time period when women were rarely included in a world run exclusively by men. "Jack Frye" a visionary and corporate genius who created America's most beloved airline: TWA. "The TWA, Jack and Helen Story", a marriage and partnership, which literally changed the world, a celebrity-love-story which left an "imprint" on American society.
A divorce- another woman- devastating loneliness, all resulting in "the parting".
"Her" new path, alone now in "her" Sedona, a metaphysical odyssey. "His" new path, leaving Helen behind in "their" Sedona. |
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| The Glorious History |
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The Homes |
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Fortune magazine article on "Jack Frye and TWA"
April of 1945, accompanied by the only known published photo of the famous life-size portrait of Helen Vanderbilt Frye, which hung in Jack's spacious TWA Washington D.C. office. |
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House of Apache Fires
at Jack and Helen's Smoke Trail Ranch. Photo below taken at the launch of the Sedona Legend Helen Frye website. 2003 |
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| Current Biography Jack Frye: 1945, and Profile- Jack Frye 1939. |
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The Glamour |
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Life at Smoke Trail Ranch and the House of Apache Fires from 1947 on....seen through the eyes of someone that was actually there all through the years! |
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Jack and Helen Frye, well remembered icons of TWA, at a party in Washington D.C., in 1946. A celebration- Jack receives his TWA 20 year pin. |
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Jack Frye, flies the new President" of the United States to the Capitol to be sworn in, while the nation and the world grieves,
A Mystery Story. |
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Helen Frye's famous Wings of the Wind Estate with one of Sedona's most magnificent vistas. |
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You are invited to experience Helen Frye's Sedona on this page of life at Smoke Trail Ranch from 1962-1979. |
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Burdett Airport and School of Aviation, a Jack Frye - Burdett Fuller operation. Said to be the first private airport in the Western United States. The true infancy of West Coast aviation! |
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The story of when Smoke Trail Ranch was "discovered"! |
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A Vanderbilt Mansion like no other! |
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| DC-1 Story, the First Robot Plane of the 1930's. |
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Jack and Helen's Tudor-Style Estate in Shawnee Mission, Overland Park, Kansas. It was designed by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright trained architect, Edward Buehler Delk. It is still known today as the former home of Jack Frye, president and founder of Transcontinental and Western Air. |
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| Discover how Transcontinental and Western Air shaped the great state of Arizona and tamed the desert skies! |
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Travel back to 1951, and read about Jack and Helen's Sedona
in this wonderful article! |
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| Jack Frye establishes the very first passenger air service from California to Arizona, as president and inauguration pilot of Standard Airlines. Later connections- coast-to-coast! |
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| The Knute Rockne Tragedy- The Event That Changed The World Of Aviation Forever. Written by guest author, aviation historian John Bybee, we learn, detail by detail why this event was so monumental, and how it nearly put Transcontinental and Western Air out of business. |
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Take a step back in time, read about Helen and Jack,
in personal "letters from a time long gone". |
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The very first passenger air service for Arizona was launched by Jack Frye- It was a hot night in Phoenix- 1927. Bored and restless reporters were sitting around in the city room of the local newspaper, when in strode a tall gangling stranger wearing grease-covered work clothes with goggles pushed up under his flier's helmet-
"My name's Jack Frye," he announced, "I'm going to start an air line here and I'd like to tell somebody about it"!
See this story and more in Current Biography 1945. |
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| The story of how a "President's Son and the Movie Star" came to honeymoon at the "Willow House" on Smoke Trail Ranch, now Red Rock State Park. The Presidential Secret Service descends on the Grand Canyon National Park and Smoke Trail Ranch in Sedona Arizona. |
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Jack and Helen Frye are seen above in the breakfast room of their stately Doubleday Mansion in Arlington Virginia. At 70 acres and some 30-rooms, this was not your typical suburban home. Read about the amazing search and discovery of this famous Washington D.C. estate christened "Hillcrest Farm" by the Frye's. The former TWA executive mansion is now recognized as one of Virginia's most authentic and regal historic colonial landmarks. |
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| Helen Frye the Artist, co-founder of Sedona Arts Center. Her incredible legacy to Sedona. |
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"Along the Highways and Byways of Finance".
1951 Profile about Jack Frye |
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Jack and Helen Frye at the White House in 1946. Jack Frye is presented with the
Medal for Merit by order of Jack's friend, President Harry S. Truman. This was just one of many times Jack and Helen |
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| were invited to the executive mansion, please see- Memories of the White House, as told by Helen Frye, at the bottom of this page. |
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| Intrique and Heartbreak |
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Broken promises and opportunists, from private ranch and playground of the rich and famous, to the "Crown Jewel" of Arizona State Parks, this page documents the shocking details of what happened at the end of Helen Vanderbilt Frye's life!
"Ownership History of Smoke Trail Ranch". |
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The Haunting of "Smoke Trail Ranch". |
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Journey Into Spirit, an insight into Helen Frye's relationship with the Native American People. |
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The mystery of Sky Fires House. Is it true cult members lit it on fire late one night to send a deathly message? |
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| Helen leaves Smoke Trail Ranch for the last time. A story that will break your heart! |
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| "A Lonely Road in Arizona" The story of the tragic car crash that claimed Jack Frye's life. |
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The Aviator movie features Jack and Helen Frye in its portrayal of Howard Hughes and TWA. See review here from a Sedona
perspective. |
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| News of Jack Frye's death runs on the front page of every major newspaper in the country, from the New York Times, to the Tucson Citizen. Read the shocking news of how this world famous man was cut down in the prime of his life by a drunk driver! |
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| The Tommy Smith Story: "Mystery Cloaks Fate of Flyer" by Phil Mosher. Helen's high school romance. |
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Windows in Time |
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| Discovered lost photos of Jack Frye- synchronicity played a role in this story of priceless lost treasures from Jack Frye's estate, represented in long lost images "from Beyond The Grave". These photos from Jack's career with TWA are a real gold mine! Incredible documentation that was nearly lost forever had it not been for a generous and kind-hearted web surfer! Also on this page see the articles "Arizona Honors No. 1 Pilot" and "Airline Executive Plans New Route"! |
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| Lost images of Jack and Helen Frye are seen on in this splash. Glimpse into the lives of these remarkable people with images never before seen by our current public. Rare snapshots of Helen Vanderbilt Frye are displayed on this companion page. |
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| The Executive Planes of Jack Frye |
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| Totally Forgotten- Rediscovered |
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| Meticulously Documented! |
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To Enter This 4 Part Web Series
Please Click On Jack's Lodestar To The Right! |
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| With the precision and accuracy of a surgeon's knife these pages explore and verify "which" planes were considered the private Northrop Gammas and Lockheeds of Jack Frye. From the dawn of the thirties, TWA's Jack Frye flew back and forth across the country with high speed rocket performance. Few men of the day experienced such efficiency. In the glamorous 1940's, the Fryes and their guests flew high in a TWA Lockheed Electra and a Lodestar. Lockheed- considered the "Cadillac of the Skies"! With stories, photos, and documentation you too can re-experience flight in the infancy of private executive airplane travel! Please click on the above photo of the Lockheed Lodestar to continue your journey! |
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| Also addressed is the historical association between Jack Frye's private planes and the famous TWA "Overweather Research Program". No where else in the world can you get the "real" unbiased story of this exciting and forgotten period of TWA's glorious history. To the right, Jack and Helen Frye are ready to depart from Sedona for TWA headquarters in Kansas City on their Lockheed Electra Junior. |
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| In 1941, that same polished to a mirror Lockheed Electra made history, as Jack and Helen flew low over Sedona looking for the perfect ranch property. What they purchased became the TWA Frye Ranch or Red Rock State Park as we know it today. The rest is now history! |
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| Retired TWA Captain Walt Gunn relates his experience as private co-pilot for Jack and Helen Frye on their famous Lockheed Electra 12A- NC-18137. From Sedona to Boulder City, this man experienced the inner Frye world! This is an authorized excerpt from Walt's famous book about his experiences with TWA. |
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History is Forged-
T.W.A establishes World Dominance! |
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TWA provides service 'round the world
with a fleet of space-age-airliners! |
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In the "TWA Constellation Story" we learn about a revolutionary new airliner that changed the world of aviation forever- the intense dedication of Jack Frye, and Howard Hughes, along with Lockheed- that made it all possible!
Read about the landmark- Lockheed Constellation air record of Jack Frye and Howard Hughes- which astonished the world! This futuristic airship- was the beginning of all current high-speed passenger airliners. |
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| Jack Frye and Lockheed Constellation TWA fleet number 503, another triumph- a record flight! The same plane later as the "Star of California", with Howard Hughes at the helm, makes aviation history! |
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The "Star of the Day" is Helen Frye and the TWA "Star of Paris".
Jack Frye is shown christening the "Paris Sky Chief" in this splash! TWA connects the world- "A Dream of Trans-Atlantic Passenger Service" now is an amazing reality! |
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| Jack Frye's little Gamma, an aviation speed record- Northrop Gamma "the little plane that could"! |
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| Read the blow by blow press releases of the ONLY documented emergency landing and disappearance of Jack Frye, as president of TWA. A Northrop Gamma 2D, NR-13757 Air Express cargo plane lost in the wilds of Arizona! Exclusive to this Website you will find this detailed and documented information no where else in the world! |
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| To the left please click on a great website by Connie and Ed Bowlin, both commercial pilots and one time owners of TWA Lockheed Electra NC-18137. I am grateful for the contact with Connie as this was the breakthrough that enabled me to connect with Jack's plane. |
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Conquistadores de Cielo |
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Read about one of the most exclusive corporate gentlemen's clubs in the world!
Founded by Jack Frye and Paul Richter in 1937. A Transcontinental and Western Air original! Please click here. |
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| The People |
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People associated with the Fryes which are explored in this website:
Howard Hughes, life-long-friend and business partner of Jack,
intimate friend of Helen Frye
President Harry S. Truman, close friend of Jack Frye
Elliott Roosevelt and Faye Emerson
Marlene Dietrich, close friend of Helen
the Baron Constantine, TWA business associate of Jack,
Baroness Garnett Stackelberg, dear friend of Helen
International Movie Star, Tyrone Power
Bob Bradshaw, world renowned Sedona photographer |
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The Man, The Legend,
Biography of Jack Frye, @ Smoke Trail Ranch, Sedona Arizona, 1947. |
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Donald Frye:
"a Family Aviation Dynasty". |
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Newspaper Profile about
Helen Varner Frye. |
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| Tyrone Power and Helen Frye, at Smoke Trail Ranch in Sedona. |
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Jack and Helen Frye's world-famous House of Apache Fires in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. August 2006 |
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The glamorous Helen Frye with Hollywood
Movie Star,
Hellen Parish. |
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The Vanderbilts, those daunting in-laws! |
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Eternal Girlfriends: the Baroness Garnett Stackelberg, Helen Vanderbilt Frye, and Evangeline Brown.
From Shanghai to Washington D.C., these girls lived life on the edge! |
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Helen Varner takes on a dynasty in this article entitled:
"Honeymoons with Vanderbilt". |
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| How Jack Frye transformed Sedona from shades of gray to vivid vibrant COLOR! Sedona Profile Series on Bob Bradshaw, Sedona's most famous photographer, and Aniline Film Corporation. |
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Helen Frye's former mother-in-law, "the Queen of the Golden Age", Grace Graham Wilson Vanderbilt". The last great leader of New York City Society. |
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Helen's former father-in-law,
Brigadier General Cornelius Vanderbilt III. |
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Helen's sister-in-law, Grace Vanderbilt Stevens. |
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| Helen Frye and Marlene Dietrich? Yes there was a connection, read about it on this page! |
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Alice Gwynne Claypoole Vanderbilt, known in New York Society as Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt the II, the dowager grandmother.
An audience with her made people tremble. |
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| A Polar Bear stands guard over Sedona's past at the Oak Creek Tavern. Oma Bird: "Helen Frye was a good friend of mine"! |
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Helen Varner Vanderbilt Frye, a Sedona art's patron. Examples of Helen's work and her connection with Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art. |
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Travel back in time to the glory days of TWA, discover previously unavailable to the public, information, about Transcontinental and Western Air's war-time Washington D.C. presence. Truly the "Camelot Years of TWA"- this period of TWA history should be a great source of pride to all who built this magnificent airline. Mystery and intrigue surround the Doubleday Mansion in Arlington Virginia, TWA's executive residence of Jack and Helen Frye, not to mention, the at times, secret hide-a-way of Howard Hughes, TWA's largest stockholder. Frequent guests included the highest dignitaries of the world and decisions made here impacted the world of aviation and the White House.
See it all here: Lost in America, the Mystery of the Doubleday Mansion! |
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| This Website serves a dual purpose: one- to pay tribute to Jack and Helen Frye's contribution to Sedona Arizona- and two- to recognize their incredible financial contribution and stewardship in keeping one of Sedona's most breathtaking regions intact and protected for nearly 40 years. Only because of Jack and Helen Frye, can people of this world experience this now, state park property with awe and wonder! As well, an effort has been made to try to address the incredible corporate legacy of Jack Frye and his association with the air service he nurtured for 23 years which became the greatest airline in the world: "TWA". An exploration of how this legacy benefited millions of passengers, employees, and friends of Jack and Helen Frye. |
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| Helen and Jack's Poem |
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A long time ago, in a decidedly different time,
over the spires of Sedona a silver airship climbed
Banking, dropping, low to the ground,
Jack and Helen Frye had found their little town
Property rugged, too rough to land,
they both vowed to return as soon as they can
Return they did with maps in hand,
staking their claim to this most beautiful land
A vision- Jack and Helen willed,
became the House of Apache Fires, which took years to build
On the wings of the wind Jack and Helen Frye came,
Smoke Trail Ranch they soon tamed
These two celebrities, travelers from a far,
in the end- became Sedona's First Stars! |
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In Loving Memory
Helen Virginia Varner Frye
November 28, 1908
December 4, 1979 |
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"A Stunning Woman
Living A Life Few Woman
Dare To Dream" |
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| The above two portraits of Helen Varner Vanderbilt Frye were commissioned by Jack Frye in 1942. Possibly two of the very last portraits painted by the famous Hollywood portrait artist, Arnold "Monty" Mountfort, see this article. Referring to Helen as a stunning beauty is an understatement! It's no wonder men fell at her feet, from Brigadier General Cornelius Vanderbilt III, Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., Henry Gassaway Davis III, Jack Frye, Howard Hughes, and Tyrone Power to name just a few. Helen is remembered by all as a stunning beauty with a magnetic personality. In 1952, Helen's former husband, Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., was quoted as saying: "Whatever happens, I shall remain content in the fact that I have tried to be a good husband to five of the world's most beautiful women." Helen was wife number "three". For a larger views of these portraits with the stories of these masterpieces, please click here! |
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Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow, I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain, I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush, I am the graceful rush.
Of beautiful birds in circling flight, I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom, I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing, I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I do not die. |
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Certainly one of the most beautiful poems or eulogies I have ever heard. I was reminded of it recently when it was recited on our favorite show, "Desperate Housewives." Immediately I thought, how apropos' it would be for Helen. When I researched the origin of the poem, I discovered that it was penned by Mary Elizabeth "Frye" who incidentally was born the same year as Jack Frye (1904), and with the same unusual last name!
Need I say, as usual Helen Frye, who often seems to have a spiritual hand in this work seemed to desire that I add this lovely poem for her. Although the poem has been published in many versions, I choose to add the one which is said to be confirmed by Mary Elizabeth Frye herself. Shortly after Helen Frye's death her ashes were scattered from the towering red rock cliffs of her Wings of the Wind estate. From here they drifted out over her Smoke Trail Ranch to swirl and settle for an eternity. The image of Helen's real life friend Gene Tierney, riding her horse on Schnebly Hill, in Sedona, somberly spreading ashes in the movie, "Leave Her To Heaven" comes to mind. So with that visual and drama, let's continue. For those out there who feel Helen's spirit when they walk the land of her former ranch, for all the people who visited Helen there who Helen considered part of her extended family, for Helen's friends who know she is still with them each day-- perhaps this poem will give you all the peace you seek. For Helen Frye's spirit is an intricate part of Smoke Trail Ranch, I know each time I return to the Frye Ranch I am overwhelmed with the presence of Helen and Jack Frye- on the summer breeze- in the swirling and blowing red rock dust- with each the lilt of the birds that sing near the babbling Oak Creek- in the stony cold silence of the Apache Fires house. Jack Frye and Helen Frye both loved this property more than any other place they resided during their time on this earth. This property is the earthly space their spirits remain. |
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"We are but actors appearing for brief moments
in this pageantry called life." |
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This quote by your webmaster aptly describes the life of Helen and Jack Frye,
as well as the rest of us, who walk on this earth over and over again playing a myriad of roles. |
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The music on this Website is well represented by a musical piece by Baroque composer, Johann Christoph Pachelbel. Titled Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, it is probably one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. Jack and Helen Frye were both staunch patrons of the Fine Arts, as such I feel they would be pleased by this accompaniment.
This particular MIDI was sequenced by the most remarkable young lady, (at the time only 13) a brilliant musician who undoubtedly will go far in her field. Her name is Allysa Hughes, she personally sequenced this MIDI and gave permission for it to grace this Website. To my knowledge the piece is not copyrighted, as it is over 300 years old. |
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| Originally I utilized a variety of wonderful MIDIs from the 1940's and 1950's. However, with the recent overzealous and ridiculous campaign by the major music corporations to squelch MIDI use, (pure greed) I was forced to delete the music. If anyone has any information about this Pachelbel piece being copyrighted in any manner, please contact me. |
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On the Sedona Legend Website you can immerse yourself in the infancy of Sedona- as experienced by Jack and Helen Frye! However by clicking on Sedona Information Logo to the left, you can learn everything about what this unparalleled "Utopia" has become today, in 2007! |
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| The most Comprehensive Sedona Business- Services- and Visitor Information Website! |
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All materials on this entire Website, unless otherwise notated,
are copyrighted, and the exclusive original protected property of the
Sedona Legend Helen Frye Website |
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This website is totally non-profit and generates no income,
nor has it ever accepted any donations. |
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| The following aviation related websites have linked the Sedona Legend Site as a courtesy. |
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| THE TWA CDG WEBSITE PARIS FRANCE |
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Current Airport Information: For those flying into Sedona Airport. The Sedona Air Center (KSEZ) is one of the most beautiful in the world. Flying up and landing on this mesa provides some of the very best Sedona vistas, I can guarantee it is an experience you will not soon forget! Another favorite airport which offers an unbelievable landing is the Sunriver Airport near Bend Oregon. Navigate to S21 (Sunriver Airport) and enjoy a vacation of unparalleled beauty!
To see photos of executive planes at the Sedona Airport,
click on the photo to the right! |
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JACK FRYE FOUNDATION WEBSITE!
To Preserve-To Protect-To Document
New Website created to ensure Jack Frye's Aviation Legacy is not forgotten, but publicized for future generations. |
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This Website is constantly being altered as new information is added
and old information is fine-tuned for accuracy and content. |
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Copyright
2003-2008
All Rights Reserved |
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Please see: Jack Frye TWA Legend
Envisioned and Created by the Sedona Legend Website. |
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Wonderful new website by TWA's Kaye Chandler, producer of the Trans World Airlines-
Historical and Remembrance Mini-Movies:
"Legacy of the Skies" and "We Remember." |
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While this Web Site is not officially affiliated with Red Rock State Park in any way, it was envisioned and created to give park visitors a more indepth historical perspective in regard to the former Frye Ranch Property. |
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The Official Sedona Legend
Website Index Key Can Be Found Here |
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Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.
Death Valley 1937 |
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Helen Frye 1945
Smoke Trail Ranch |
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This Web Site is encouraged and supported by the Jack Frye Family
to include Jack's daughter: Nevajac Frye
Jack's sister: Ople May "Sunny" Frye Thomas
The Helen Frye Family
and friends of Jack and Helen Frye |
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Thank you Helen and Jack Frye, for your legacy to Sedona Arizona!
Your imprint on this community continues on into the 21st Century! |
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| Your webmaster-research-writer is Randall, associated with Sedona since 1985. |
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EMAIL
admin@sedonalegendhelenfrye.com |
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| Views from the Frye Ranch after summer afternoon rainstorm. Sedona Arizona, August 2006 |
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| Thank you for your interest in |
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| Sedo |
