Freeborn County’s recent six best days of summer at the fairgrounds could have had a predecessor 104 years ago with a six-day event that took place right in the heart of the city.

For six full days back in June 1905 people in the Albert Lea area enjoyed a combination of street fair and carnival, with emphasis on the word carnival.

This 1905 event was sponsored by the city’s Commercial Club, a predecessor of the present Chamber of Commerce organization. It took place from June 12 through 17.

What made this street fair and carnival different was based on the fact that it took place on South Broadway Avenue from Clark to College Streets. Another factor was based on the full approval of both city authorities and the owners of the business places along Broadway and several side streets. These merchants hoped people from Albert Lea and nearby areas attending the free and paid attractions of this carnival would also come into their stores to purchase merchandise.

However, in that era the word carnival didn’t have a very good reputation. Part of this was the emphasis placed on shady gambling and other illegal activities promoted by all too many of these traveling shows. Thus, there was some apprehension when the carnival concept was proposed as a major event in the city.

Yet, the Cosmopolitan Amusement Co. had earned a positive reputation as a firm which didn’t allow illegal foolishness of any kind. Also, this firm had presented week-long events in Luverne, Winnebago and Lake Mills, Iowa, during the previous year. A check by the Commercial Club and city authorities with people in those localities gave this carnival firm very high recommendations.

The Cosmopolitan firm used a special train of 22 rail cars to transport its equipment and 200 employees between the cities on its schedule. Prior to coming to Albert Lea on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, this fair and carnival operation had been in St. Joseph, Mo.

As a prelude to the appearance of this large entertainment troupe in Albert Lea, the Freeborn County Times weekly newspaper in the June 5, 1905, issued reported:

“In addition to the various amusement features, the Cosmopolitan company will decorate the streets with bunting and flags and with numerous electric lights. The company carries with it a complete electrical plant, steam boilers, engine and dynamos with which it supplies lights for its own shows and attractions and street illumination. This is wonderful in itself and indicates the thorough businesslike manner in which the Cosmopolitan company is conducted.

“The company carries with it a large brass band which will give concerts on the street corners each morning and again throughout the afternoons and evenings. The shows and free performances commence at half past one and two o’clock in the afternoon and continues until five or half past. The evening entertainments commence at half past seven and eight and continue until 10 and half past. There will be a nominal charge of ten and fifteen cents for tent shows.”

The tent shows, located at various sites on both Broadway and the side streets, included a Roman Coliseum and Wild West Show, Old Plantation Minstrel Show, glass blowers (an educational display), and a dog and monkey show. Admissions were also required for the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and several other mechanical rides.

Three of the tented attractions were based on what were then called panoramas or electric theaters. In reality, these were silent films. One was called “A Day in the Alps.” Another, based on a popular attraction at the St. Louis World’s Fair the previous year, was named “Creation.” And the third presentation in this filmed category was the “Bold Bank Robbery Show” with real actors and hopefully some dialogue shown on the screen.

The free attractions included a loop the loop, aerial acts, the Jubilee Singers, a cycle whirl (with bicycle riders), a dog that had been trained to jump off a platform down into a trough filled with water, and evening displays of fireworks.

On June 2, 1905, the Freeborn County Standard newspaper said this fair and carnival event was “a profitable and pleasing success. Every feature (was) as good as the guarantee and the verdict is ‘welcome and come again’ … a week of exciting and jubilant entertainment. … It brought thousands of people to Albert Lea.”

Local historian Kevin Savick contributed to this story.