Halloween is just around the corner, making it the perfect time for a cemetery tour.

Mower County Historical Society curator Jaimie Timm will be hosting tours of rural cemeteries on Sunday, Oct. 21. Cemeteries featured on the tour are Red Oak Grove in Udolpho Township, Lansing Cemetery and Greenwood in Brownsdale.

While these tours will not feature any scares, participants will learn something about Mower County’s former residents.

“We wanted to get outside of Austin and these were three cemeteries that I personally did not know much about,” Timm said. “That motivated my choice because I wanted to learn more about them.”

Participants can begin arriving at the Mower County Historical Society at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Coffee and cookies will be served before leaving on the bus at 1 p.m.

During the tour, Timm will point out some of the more interesting gravesites, such as that of Alanson Bowen Vaughan, an early businessman and politician who Timm said played a role in “stealing the county seat.”

“It was understood at the time that the county seat was were the county records box was kept,” Timm explained. “The seat was in Frankford, but many from the Austin area did not want to travel that far, so they stole the box and brought it to Austin. Vaughan was a key player in that.”

Another former Mower County resident featured on the tour will be Albert Sleeper, the inventor of the Sleeper’s Lighting Poison Fly Paper, which was paper dunked in arsenic and then dried and cut into small sheets, according to Timm. The paper was then placed in a bowl of water, which poisoned the water and killed flies when they drank it. The product was sold all over the country, as well as to Japan and China.

To find out more, you have to take the tour.

“It’s something different,” Timm said. “We thought we would mix it up and meet some new Mower County characters.”

Tickets are available for purchase through the Hormel Historic Home by calling 507-433-4243 or visiting www.hormelhistorichome.org/calendartickets.html. Tickets are $10 for members of the Mower County Historical Society and members of the Hormel Historic Home. Tickets are $15 for non-members.

Space on the bus is limited to 25 participants. Proceeds benefit the Mower County Historical Society and Hormel Historic Home.

Schedule of Events

Friday

• Flu shots, sponsored by Mayo Clinic, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Adams, call 507-582-3547 for appointment.

• Defensive Driving Refresher Class, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Four hour refresher course that earns seniors a 10 percent discount on their driver’s insurance premium. Cost for members is $16, for non-members is $19. For more information or to sign up, stop by the Senior Center front desk or call 507-433-2370.

• ArtRocks Open Jam Sessions, 7 p.m. at the Austin ArtWorks Center. Meet and play with other musicians from around the area. House band sets up and is available for back-up; you bring your music, instruments, and energy. Cash bar available. For more information, call 507-434-0934.

• Austin Bruins vs. Minnesota Magicians, 7 p.m. at Riverside Arena. Go, Bruins! Tickets available at the door or at HyVee, Games People Play, Holiday Inn or Jim’s Market Place. For more information, call 507-434-4978.

• The Mystery of the Missing Manuscript, at the Austin Public Library. A crazed library employee has hidden a valuable volume! Can your group find the clues, piece together the puzzles, and answer the riddles to solve this mystery? This immersive adventure will challenge your team to race against the clock to find the book-burglar’s treasure and claim the reward. Designed for groups of 4 to 10 people, ages 10 and up (groups of children under 12 must include at least one adult), and participants should plan on one hour for the activity. Advance registration is required – time slots will be posted on the library website. Sign-up begins on Oct. 1 – individuals may sign up, but will be partnered with other participants and a minimum of 4 people is required for each session. For more information, call 507-433-2391.

Saturday

• Fall Cloverbud Kick-Off: A Pumpkin Patch Adventure, 10-11:30 a.m. at Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch (90537 273rd St. in Austin). Youth grades K-2 are invited to join us for our Pumpkin Patch 4-H Cloverbud Adventure. You do not need to be 4-H members to attend. We will tour the farm, pick pumpkins and have lots of fall fun! You won’t want to miss this fun fall adventure and the start to another great Cloverbud year! The cost is $2 for Cloverbuds, $7 per person for parents and siblings and $6 for young kids (pre-K or younger). RSVP to the Mower County Extension Office by calling 507-437-9552 by Wednesday, Oct. 17.

• Tech Programs for Youth – Circuits, 10:30 a.m. at the Austin Public Library. Meet in the Austin Public Library programming room. Monthly program. For more information, call 507-433-2391.

• Kids’ Studio – Crafting, 10:30 a.m. at the Austin ArtWorks Festival. With Jenelle Cummings. Cost $5; for kids ages 4 to 14. For more information or to sign up, call 507-434-0934 or go to www.austinareaarts.org.

• Tech Programs for Youth – Hour of Code, 10:30 a.m. at the Austin Public Library. Meet in the Austin Public Library programming room. Monthly program. For more information, call 507-433-2391.

• APOA Fall Country Western Show, 7 p.m. at Knowlton Auditorium, Austin High School. Annual country western extravaganza, featuring Nashville recording artist Mo Pitney. Tickets $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Tickets available now at the Austin Law Enforcement Center. For more information, call 507-437-9400.

• Sola Fide Observatory – Moon Viewing, 8 p.m. at Sola Fide Observatory. Learn about the night sky from our local experts. For more information, go to www.hormelnaturecenter.org or call 507-437-7519.

• The Mystery of the Missing Manuscript, at the Austin Public Library. A crazed library employee has hidden a valuable volume! Can your group find the clues, piece together the puzzles, and answer the riddles to solve this mystery? This immersive adventure will challenge your team to race against the clock to find the book-burglar’s treasure and claim the reward. Designed for groups of 4 to 10 people, ages 10 and up (groups of children under 12 must include at least one adult), and participants should plan on one hour for the activity. Advance registration is required – time slots will be posted on the library website. Sign-up begins on Oct. 1 – individuals may sign up, but will be partnered with other participants and a minimum of 4 people is required for each session. For more information, call 507-433-2391.

Sunday

• Mower County Humane Society Pancake Breakfast/Craft and Bake Sale, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Austin Eagles Club. Serving until noon, $6 for ages 6 and up.

• Ride Your Bike to the Library/”READ” Bike Rack Dedication, 2 p.m. at the Austin Public Library. Celebrate the dedication of the new “READ” bike racks. All ages are welcome for an afternoon of bike-themed activities – games, safety tips, bike-helmet give-away, info on cold weather cycling and cycling groups, cookies from the Ladies Floral Club, bike trail maps, and more. Presented in partnership with the Ladies Floral Club, Friends of the Austin Public Library, Austin YMCA, Austin Composite Cycling Team, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and Rydjor Bike Shop. For more information, call 507-433-2391.

• The Mystery of the Missing Manuscript, at the Austin Public Library. A crazed library employee has hidden a valuable volume! Can your group find the clues, piece together the puzzles, and answer the riddles to solve this mystery? This immersive adventure will challenge your team to race against the clock to find the book-burglar’s treasure and claim the reward. Designed for groups of 4 to 10 people, ages 10 and up (groups of children under 12 must include at least one adult), and participants should plan on one hour for the activity. Advance registration is required – time slots will be posted on the library website. Sign-up begins on Oct. 1 – individuals may sign up, but will be partnered with other participants and a minimum of 4 people is required for each session. For more information, call 507-433-2391.