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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Albert Lea (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Albert Lea. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Albert Lea is located in Freeborn County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Minnesota's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Freeborn County: Winnebago (IA), Worth (IA), Faribault, Mower, Steele & Waseca.

Below are the counties that are near Albert Lea. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Albert Lea:

  • Freeborn County     (The home county of Albert Lea)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Hayward
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Manchester
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
      • Manchester is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
    • Twin Lakes
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Glenville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenville
      • Glenville is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 624 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glenville <1>
    • Clarks Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Conger
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conger have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conger
      • Conger is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
    • Alden
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alden
      • Alden is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 642 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alden <1>
    • Hollandale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hollandale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollandale
      • Hollandale is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 298 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hollandale <1>
    • Myrtle
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtle
      • Myrtle is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
    • Emmons
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emmons have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmons
      • Emmons is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 380 people
    • Bath
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Freeborn
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Dodge County
  • Faribault County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Walters
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walters have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walters
      • Walters is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
    • Kiester
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kiester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kiester
      • Kiester is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 456 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kiester <1>
    • Wells
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wells have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells
      • Wells is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,157 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wells <1>
    • Bricelyn
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bricelyn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bricelyn
      • Bricelyn is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
    • Minnesota Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minnesota Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minnesota Lake
      • Minnesota Lake is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 640 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Minnesota Lake <1>
    • Dell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dell
      • Dell is located in Faribault County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dell
      • From Albert Lea to Dell
    • Easton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Easton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
      • Easton is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
    • Frost
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frost have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frost
      • Frost is located in Faribault County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 181 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Frost <1>
  • Mower County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Austin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Mapleview
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mapleview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mapleview
      • Mapleview is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 177 people
    • Lansing
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lansing. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lansing
      • Lansing is located in Mower County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lansing
      • From Albert Lea to Lansing
    • Varco
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Lyle
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyle
      • Lyle is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 553 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyle <1>
    • Brownsdale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsdale
      • Brownsdale is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 696 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownsdale <1>
    • Rose Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Creek
      • Rose Creek is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 423 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rose Creek <1>
    • Waltham
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waltham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waltham
      • Waltham is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waltham <1>
    • Renova ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Sargeant
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Steele County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Ellendale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellendale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellendale
      • Ellendale is located in Steele County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 669 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ellendale <1>
    • Union
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • River Point
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Blooming Prairie
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blooming Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blooming Prairie
      • Blooming Prairie is located in Steele County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,927 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blooming Prairie <1>
    • Hope
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Steele Center
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Pratt
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pratt. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
      • Pratt is located in Steele County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pratt
      • From Albert Lea to Pratt
    • Havana
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Waseca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • New Richland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Richland
      • New Richland is located in Waseca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,171 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Richland <1>
    • Vista
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Waldorf
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waldorf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldorf
      • Waldorf is located in Waseca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Wilton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
      • Wilton is located in Waseca County
    • Waseca
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Cerro Gordo County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Creamery
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Creamery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creamery
      • Creamery is located in Cerro Gordo County (IA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Creamery
      • From Albert Lea to Creamery
    • Plymouth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
      • Plymouth is located in Cerro Gordo County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 361 people
  • Mitchell County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Carpenter
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carpenter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carpenter
      • Carpenter is located in Mitchell County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
    • Toeterville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toeterville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toeterville
      • Toeterville is located in Mitchell County (IA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toeterville <1>
    • Saint Ansgar
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Ansgar have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Ansgar
      • Saint Ansgar is located in Mitchell County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,125 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Ansgar <1>
  • Winnebago County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Lake Mills
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Mills
      • Lake Mills is located in Winnebago County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,987 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Mills <1>
    • Scarville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scarville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scarville
      • Scarville is located in Winnebago County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scarville <1>
    • Vinje
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Leland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Thompson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thompson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thompson
      • Thompson is located in Winnebago County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 466 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thompson <1>
    • Forest City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Rake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rake
      • Rake is located in Winnebago County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
  • Worth County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.
    • Silver Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Northwood
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Northwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northwood
      • Northwood is located in Worth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,958 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Northwood <1>
    • Bristol
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Joice
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joice
      • Joice is located in Worth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
    • Kensett
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kensett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kensett
      • Kensett is located in Worth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 249 people
    • Bolan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Hanlontown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanlontown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanlontown
      • Hanlontown is located in Worth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
    • Fertile
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fertile have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertile
      • Fertile is located in Worth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 356 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fertile <1>
    • Manly
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Grafton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Albert Lea, see our County-by-County Page for Albert Lea.

Cemeteries Near Albert Lea ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Albert Lea.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Albert Lea covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.

  • Lakewood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakewood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakewood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Theodores Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Theodores Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Theodores Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Graceland Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Graceland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Graceland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Itasca Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Itasca Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Itasca Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillcrest Memorial Gardens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Freeborn County Poor Farm Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Freeborn County Poor Farm Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Freeborn County Poor Farm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shady Oak Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shady Oak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shady Oak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Green Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Glenville Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Glenville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Glenville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Central Lutheran Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Central Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Central Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Concordia Lutheran Church Cemetery of Pickerel Lake
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Concordia Lutheran Church Cemetery of Pickerel Lake
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Concordia Lutheran Church Cemetery of Pickerel Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lunder Lutheran Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lunder Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lunder Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (244 more) ...
    • East Freeborn Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Freeborn Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Freeborn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • North Round Prairie Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Round Prairie Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Round Prairie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hayward Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hayward Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hayward Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Albert Lea had a population of 3,305 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Albert Lea had a population of 17,733 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Albert Lea, with the one closest to Albert Lea listed first.

  • Armstrong
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Armstrong have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armstrong
    • Armstrong is located in Freeborn County
  • Twin Lakes
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Hayward
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Manchester
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
    • Manchester is located in Freeborn County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
  • Glenville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenville
    • Glenville is located in Freeborn County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 624 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glenville <1>
  • Clarks Grove
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Gordonsville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gordonsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordonsville
    • Gordonsville is located in Freeborn County
  • Alden
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alden
    • Alden is located in Freeborn County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 642 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alden <1>
  • Emmons
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emmons have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmons
    • Emmons is located in Freeborn County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 380 people
  • Silver Lake
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Myrtle
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtle
    • Myrtle is located in Freeborn County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
  • Norman ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norman
    • Norman is located in Winnebago County (IA)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Hartland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
      • Hartland is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
    • Bath
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Freeborn
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Albert Lea. See our List of 1890's Communities around Albert Lea.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Albert Lea ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 108 newspapers that have been published in the area around Albert Lea.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Albert Lea. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Albert Lea and those printed in the larger area surrounding Albert Lea.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5> of Albert Lea.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Albert Lea:

The official website for Albert Lea: www.city.albertlea.org/

The official website for Freeborn County: www.co.freeborn.mn.us/

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Albert Lea, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Albert Lea) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Albert Lea. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.6478, Longitude: -93.3687    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025