We were delighted to have 1,014 visitors to the museum and historical village during fair week. This is more than a 35 percent increase in fair visitors over last year.

We would like to thank our many volunteers that helped the week run smoothly.

We heard many positive comments and many plan to visit us again for other events or just to browse.

We have a very busy month ahead of us with many events taking place. Aug. 14 we are hosting a cemetery bus tour. We plan to leave the museum at 9:30 a.m. and return at approximately 4:15 p.m. We will be visiting many cemeteries throughout the county as well as locations of some that are no more. You are bound to learn things you did not know as we travel through the county. We will stop for a lunch that is being prepared for us. Lunch is included in the price of the trip. The cost for the day trip is $40 for members and $45 for non-members.

The following week will be a busy one. On Tuesday, Aug. 19, we will be hosting an AARP four-hour defensive driving class. (This is the refresher class that must be taken every three years after the initial eight-hour class.) The cost is $15 and you must pre-register. You do not need to be a member of AARP or the museum to attend.

Wednesday, Aug. 20, is the date for our annual “Echoes from the Past: A Journey into History.” This event will take place at Graceland Cemetery at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $5 per person and is open to the public. This is an opportunity to learn about some interesting individuals who have lived in Freeborn County in the past. There will be refreshments available during intermission. (The rain location will be the museum.)

Friday, Aug. 22, marks the date for our next library lock-in. The time is 5:30 to 11 p.m. Pre-registration is required; the cost is $25 for members, $30 for non-members. This is an opportunity to receive one-on-one assistance with your family research.

The Freeborn County Genealogical Society meets monthly at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, their next meeting is tomorrow. The time is 7 p.m. They have a short business meeting, refreshments and then a speaker or program. This is another opportunity to learn more about how to research your family history and what local and regional resources are available in our area.

In my last column I mentioned Albert Miller Lea. Here are some facts about this person. He was born on July 23, 1808 — 200 years ago! As a lieutenant with the First United States Dragoons, Albert Miller Lea served as a surveyor and mapmaker for an expedition exploring Iowa and southern Minnesota in 1835. Lea’s original name for Albert Lea Lake was Fox Lake. The name was changed some years later in the presence of Lea. The city of Albert Lea was named after Albert Lea Lake. The first settler arrived in 1855. Lea was a man of many vocations and died Jan. 30, 1891, in Corsicana, Texas.

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.