History:

In 1835, Companies B, H, and I of the United States Dragoons, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen W. Kearney, came through Freeborn County. One of the members of the expedition was Lieutenant Albert Miller Lea, topographer. Lieutenant Lea sketched the outline of the lake that he named “Fox Lake”. Joseph Nicollet later renamed the lake, Lake Albert Lea. In 1855, a small settlement began on the northwest edge of the lake and the town became known as Albert Lea, named after the lake—which was named in honor of Lieutenant Albert Lea.

“The first settler on the present site of Albert Lea was Lorenzo Merry, who, coming here in June, 1855, built a cabin on the…corner of Washington and Water streets.” (Tribune, p. 11) George Ruble came to the area in July 1855, to find a mill site. Ruble built a log home near the proposed dam and mill site. When the dam was constructed at the east end of the slough area, a body of water was created. It was later named Fountain Lake. (Heritage, p.37) The beginnings of a prosperous little village were appearing. In 1856, a stage line commenced running through Albert Lea. (Neill, p.364) The first store established…was that of Julius Clark, who coming west from Ohio in the spring of 1856, was persuaded by Mr. Ruble to establish his business in the pioneer community.