The building of the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception was completed by the fall of 1904, a rectory was built alongside the church in 1907, and the Catholic school was built in 1912. Also in 1907, the city water tank was built, and the public school house was constructed in 1908. Calvary Hill Cemetery was established south of Lonsdale in 1910. Several theories exist as to how Lonsdale got its name, but it remains a mystery. One theory is that the town was named after the surveyor from the railroad. Another possibility is that it was named for another place named Lonsdale, either in the United States or England.