The Milton Historical Society is donning its Halloween mask -- figuratively speaking -- to educate and entertain residents about all things spooky for its monthly speaker series.
Spirits Among Us is local history lecturer John McDonald’s presentation about the many chilly aspects associated with the Halloween season.
Local ghosts, as the title implies, are certainly part of the Oct. 17 talk. However, it's by no means limited to the subject. The history of funeral practices and the origins of Halloween will be discussed, as will tales of suspected haunted locations in Milton.
“Since the beginning of civilization, people have always had a fascination with the afterlife and communicating with the dead,” said McDonald.
In keeping with the spirit of Halloween, McDonald promises that the evening will have a fun atmosphere as people exchange stories.
As an example of an amusing tidbit McDonald provides, he mentioned a meeting between several British literary figures in 1816 in Geneva, Switzerland. At this gathering, McDonald says, the attendees attempted to scare each other with stories of their own.
The figures were Mary Shelley of Frankenstein lore, her fiance and author of Ozymandius Percy Shelley, poet Lord Byron and John Polidori, who inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula.
“That's something else I like to talk about is how the horror segment of entertainment and culture and arts is very significant,” McDonald added.
Those looking to learn about the spooky side of local history will not be disappointed. Haunted locales and lurid stories of from the town’s past are very much on the agenda. The current Town Hall for the municipality was at one point a jail. As a result, it was the site of three public hangings in the age of the death penalty in Canada.
The lecture will take place in the Carriage Room of the Waldie Blacksmith Shop – home base of the Milton Historical Society – at 7:30 p.m..
The group is also hosting a fundraising dinner at the Grand Chalet on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. Spirits Among Us is free, but the October fundraising dinner is $90. Last day to buy tickets is Tuesday, Oct. 15.
More details about both are on the Waldie’s website.