It was a dreary afternoon when the Postcards team assembled in Montgomery, and in the early evening, the rain began to come down in torrents across the town. There was thunder and lightning, then the electricity went out, leaving the windowless room in total darkness. The team agreed it was the perfect evening to meet with Leah Lamp, Lamplight Ghost Tour’s owner, founder, researcher, and guide.

Learning to love Montgomery

When Leah moved to Montgomery in 1986, she was an impressionable teenager. She had previously attended a high school in Louisville, Kentucky with about 3,000 students, so Montgomery High School, which had about 400 students enrolled at the time, was a shock to Leah. She was also surprised there were dirt roads near her family’s home in the country. “My teenage heart hated this town,” she confesses. “I couldn’t wait to grow up and move away.”  

Understandably, Leah had never studied Texas history during her school years in Kentucky, so she was unaware of Montgomery’s noteworthy background. Over time, however, she learned to love the historic town, and she is now proud to call Montgomery home. All four of her children have attended Montgomery schools. “We”—the town of Montgomery and Leah—“kind of grew up together,” she quips.

As most parents of Montgomery Junior High School students know, seventh graders participate in a historical scavenger hunt every year. Created in 1999 by Brenda Beaven, a tenured Texas history teacher, the scavenger hunt sends students on a deep dig into the history of Montgomery, one of the oldest towns in the state. When Leah’s oldest child Drew took Texas history in seventh grade, the scavenger hunt was as educational for Leah as it was for her son. She was surprised and captivated by the town’s unique history, and a thought bubbled to the surface of her consciousness. What the town really needed, Leah mused, was a ghost tour. Knowing what she did about historic locations, she was sure there were stories of local hauntings.

Leah, a multi-talented writer, podcast host, and graphic artist, has long been a fan of ghost tours. She has attended several cities’ ghost tours, including those in Galveston, New Orleans, and Old Town Spring. “Whether you believe in ghosts or whether you don’t, a ghost tour is fun,” she says. “It’s a fascinating glimpse into the town. It’s a crash course in the culture and the feel for the people of the town, because it’s their stories and lore and legends. It’s rich, and it’s beautiful.”

Leah ultimately helped all four of her children complete the seventh-grade scavenger hunt. There was also other homework to supervise, plus many duties around the house. Years passed, but Leah did not seem to have the time to create a ghost tour. “When the kids got older, I tried to get it off the ground a couple of times, and nothing quite happened,” Leah says. Then she found someone else had started a ghost tour; not wanting to compete, she put her idea to rest.

“I always wanted to take the tour,” Leah says, and one day in early 2022, she looked into it. When she discovered that Montgomery’s ghost tour was no longer in operation, she realized it was time to start her own. “I started calling people and emailing people,” she says. Because she has lived in Montgomery for decades and had four children pass through the school district, Leah knows many Montgomery residents. She soon discovered a lot of people had stories, and some people suggested others that she should call. The Montgomery Historical Society was helpful, as were longtime residents of the town. “Doors opened. Things happened,” Leah says.

Lamplight Ghost Tours

Just in time for the spooky season of the year, Lamplight Ghost Tours is now accepting reservations for 90-minute walking tours of Montgomery. It all begins at Phil’s Road House and Grill, where tourists will be served complimentary refreshments at 6:30 p.m., with tours beginning promptly at 7:00.

As Leah leads her tour groups through the historic town, she will share about a dozen stories she has gathered. She promises that she did not make any of them up. She collected each story from “people who lived through it and experienced it,” and feels a great responsibility to the locals who shared stories with her. “When people tell you a story, they are entrusting it to you,” she says. “They have given them to me to pass on.” She also notes that while some of the stories might be a little unnerving, her tours are not meant to be frightening. “No one is going to jump out and scare you,” she says.

Although Leah says she does not like to “play favorites,” she is particularly fond of the ghosts of Confederate soldiers, who are featured in a couple of stories. (Some Confederate soldiers are buried in Montgomery’s “New Cemetery,” which was founded in 1868, and the “Old Cemetery,” founded in 1838.)

While most of the stories told on the tour are first-hand accounts of hauntings, participants will also learn tidbits of Montgomery’s history. “You will remember history if it is attached to a ghost story,” Leah says. “In one night of fun entertainment and a nice little walk around town, you can be introduced to the character of the town.”

Leah has a great appreciation for the Montgomery Historical Society, which has honored the town’s history by keeping it alive for decades. Even as the town grew and prospered, it still kept a firm grip on its history.  “Not every town embraces its history. Not everybody knows about it, because it’s not told and passed down and made important,” Leah says. “Knowing history ties you to a place. You are now a part of that. You have an intimate connection to those who came before.”

Does Leah believe in ghosts? Maybe.

“It’s egotistical to think we know everything,” she says, but she also acknowledges the power of suggestion. “All of the stories are one hundred percent historically accurate,” she says. “The ghost stories–you are going to have to decide for yourself.”

Lamplight Ghost Tours are available most Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year; in October and November, some Thursday and Sunday night tours will be available, as will hayride tours for those with mobility issues (or those who prefer to ride). Tickets are $25, with a discount to seventh grade students who are participating in the Montgomery scavenger hunt. Private tours can also be arranged. Although tours are not designed to be exercise sessions, comfortable shoes are recommended.

As she launches her new venture, Leah’s excitement is infectious. “A ghost tour,” she says, “is a way to gain a personal connection with the flavor and the stories of a town that should not be forgotten.”

For more information and to book tours, visit lamplightghosttours.com.