Nights are getting longer. The air is crisp and the leaves are falling, so there is, of course, only one place to be – the cemetery. And by that I mean St. Patrick’s Cemetery on one of the Galt Museum & Archives historical flashlight tours.

Each autumn for the past decade or so we’ve guided people through the cemetery to learn stories of past Lethbridge residents. St. Patrick’s is the oldest cemetery in Lethbridge, dating from 1886, and has some fascinating stories. Of course, for the nighttime tours we tend to focus on the more notorious and heart-breaking stories.

In St. Patrick’s Cemetery you will find the story of one of the madams of Lethbridge’s famous red light district who died in a tragic accident in 1907. You’ll discover her husband’s role in the whole event and the reputation Lethbridge had for its brothel district in the early 20th century.

There is also the miner and his wife, both dead before they reached 30 years of age. What tragedies faced this young married couple and why did the miner’s death lead to two court cases?

There are also murder victims buried at St. Patrick’s. What passions pushed someone to hate these people so much that they killed them? Were the murderers ever discovered and punished?

Then there are the sisters who caused a mystery when their headstones were discovered in the cemetery. Why were their headstones such a surprise?

If you want the rest of the stories behind these past Lethbridge residents, you’ll have to buy a ticket and join us in the cemetery; discover the scandals, disasters, trials and triumphs of our early citizens. Visit www.galtmuseum.com/programs for the Flashlight Cemetery Tours schedule. Buy your tickets at the Galt Museum Store or by phone at 403-320-3954.