Albert Lea is a city in

Freeborn County Freeborn County is a county in the state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 30,895. Its county seat is Albert Lea. Freeborn County comprises the Albert Lea Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Freeborn Coun ...

, in southern

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

. It is on the shores of Fountain Lake, Pickerel Lake, Albert Lea Lake, Goose Lake, School Lake, and Lake Chapeau. Fountain Lake and Albert Lea Lake are part of the

Shell Rock River The Shell Rock River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the West Fork Cedar River in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa in the United States ...

flowage. The city's early growth was based on

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

, farming support services and

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...

, and it was a significant rail center. At one time it was the site of

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated, is a privately held American global food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865, it is the largest privately held corporation in the United States in ter ...

's headquarters. Other manufacturing included Edwards Manufacturing (barn equipment), Scotsman Ice Machines, Streater Store fixtures, and Universal Milking Machines. As in many U.S. cities, Albert Lea's manufacturing base has substantially diminished. A major employer was the Wilson & Company meatpacking plant, later known as Farmstead and Farmland. This facility was destroyed by fire in July 2001.

History

The city is named after

Albert Miller Lea Albert Miller Lea (July 23, 1808 – January 16, 1891) was an American engineer, soldier, and topographer with the United States Dragoons who surveyed southern Minnesota and northern Iowa in 1835. Biography Lea was born in Richland, Tennessee ...

, a topographer with the United States

Dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat ...

, who surveyed southern Minnesota and northern

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

in 1835, including the current site of Albert Lea. Captain

Nathan Boone Nathan Boone (1780–1856) was a veteran of the War of 1812, a delegate to the Missouri constitutional convention in 1820, and a captain in the 1st United States Regiment of Dragoons at the time of its founding, eventually rising to the rank of lie ...

, a son of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

, was the scout for Lea's unit. The city received national attention in 1959 after Local 6 of the

United Packinghouse Workers of America The United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA), later the ''United Packinghouse, Food and Allied Workers'', was a labor union that represented workers in the meatpacking industry. Origin as the PWOC Background Between the mid-1800s and mid-1 ...

went on strike against Wilson & Co., one of the Big Four meatpacking plants at the time, over issues involving mandatory overtime requirements.Register, Cheri (2001) ''Packinghouse Daughter'',

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...

. When Wilson & Co. attempted to operate the plant with replacement workers, violence erupted and split the town. During the 109-day strike, Governor

Orville Freeman Orville Lothrop Freeman (May 9, 1918February 20, 2003) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 29th Governor of Minnesota from January 5, 1955, to January 2, 1961, and as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1961 to 1969 unde ...

acted to quell the violence by closing the plant, calling in the

Minnesota National Guard The Minnesota National Guard is a state-based military force of more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen, serving in 61 communities across the state. Operated in the U.S. state of Minnesota, it is reserve component of the National Guard. The Cons ...

, and declaring martial law on December 11. A federal district court in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

ruled against Freeman on December 23, and the plant turned back to Wilson & Co. just days later.Frost, Richard T. (1961) ''Cases in State and Local Government'',

Prentice-Hall Prentice Hall was an American major educational publisher owned by Savvas Learning Company. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market, and distributes its technical titles through the Safari B ...

LCCR
61008224
/ref>

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. Myre-Big Island State Park is nearby. There are three main lakes in Albert Lea: Fountain Lake, Pickerel Lake and Albert Lea Lake. Known as "The Land Between the Lakes," Albert Lea has three main lakes: Fountain Lake, Albert Lea Lake, and Pickerel Lake. Fish typically found in these lakes include bullhead, carp, northern pike, bass, walleye, catfish, yellow perch, and various panfish. The lakes offer boating, fishing, canoeing, and boat tours.

Climate

Albert Lea has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

of the hot-summer subtype (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dfa''). Albert Lea varies from cold winters to hot summers, with significant contrasts between seasons. Its climate type is typical for inland northern United States locations, but due to its southern position in the state, its summers and winters have higher temperatures than other, more northerly regions of the state. An exception to this rule is the urban core of

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, which sees higher temperatures typical of an

urban heat island An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparen ...

, but Albert Lea is significantly warmer than locations such as

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 18,016 people, 7,774 households, and 4,644 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 8,410 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 5.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 13.2% of the population. There were 7,774 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the city was 44 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 22.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 18,356 people, 7,785 households, and 4,826 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 8,133 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.80%

, 0.37%

, 0.29% Native American, 0.80%

, 0.03%

, 4.54% from

, and 1.18% from two or more races. 9.48% of the population were

of any race. Of the 7,785 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88. 23.0% of Albert Lea's population were under the age of 18, 7.9% were 18 to 24, 24.6% were 25 to 44, 23.2% were from 45 to 64, and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,841, and the median income for a family was $42,407. Males had a median income of $31,383 versus $21,114 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,979. 10.2% of the population and 6.9% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

. 10.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

The Marion Ross Performing Arts Center is a historic building in downtown Albert Lea. The 255-seat theater is used for the arts, business meetings, and seminars. A county fair takes place annually in Albert Lea, and includes live entertainment, an antique tractor show, a draft horse show, a small and baby animal show, and a Sunday church service. The Albert Lea Art Center hosts public events.

Sports

The

Albert Lea Thunder The Albert Lea Thunder was a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's Central Division. The team was an expansion franchise for the 2008–09 season and played their home games at the Albert Lea Ice Arena in Albert ...

was a

junior hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

team that played at Albert Lea Ice Arena and was a member of the

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

. The team operated for two seasons in 2008–10 and folded due to financial difficulties. On May 11, 2010, it was reported that the team had found new owners and would relocate to Texas for the 2010–11 season. Its roster was sold to the expansion Amarillo, Texas, franchise the Amarillo Bulls on May 26, 2010.

Government

Albert Lea's city hall is at 221 East Clark St. Albert Lea is in

Minnesota's 1st congressional district Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. It is a primarily rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, though this is changing rapidly d ...

, represented by

Brad Finstad Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American farmer, agricultural consultant, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa. The d ...

, a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from New Ulm. It is in Minnesota State Senate District 27, represented by State Senator Gene Dornink, a

from Hayfield, and in Minnesota's House District 27A, represented by

Peggy Bennett Peggy Bennett (born July 3, 1958) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Bennett represents District 23A in southern Minnesota, which includes the city ...

, a Republican.

Education

School District A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...

br>241
**Alternative Learning Center *

Elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

**Halverson Elementary **Hawthorne Elementary **Lakeview Elementary **Sibley Elementary **St. Theodore's Catholic School *

Middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s **Southwest Middle School *

High school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

**Albert Lea High School *

Higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

Riverland Community College Riverland Community College is a public community college with three campuses in southeastern Minnesota: Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna. Founded in 1940, Riverland offers a variety of educational programs and courses to over 4,900 students ann ...

Lea College Lea College was a private liberal arts college that operated from 1966 to 1973 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States. Lea was one of several Midwestern colleges established by local civic leaders with the support and encouragement of Parsons Colle ...

, operated 1966–1973 *Community education **Albert Lea Community Ed

Media

The

Albert Lea Tribune The ''Albert Lea Tribune'' is an American, English language newspaper published in Albert Lea, Minnesota. It was founded in 1897. It is published Tuesday thru Saturday and has a circulation of 3,366. It was owned by Boone Newspapers Boone N ...

, founded in 1897, is a newspaper published Monday through Saturday in Albert Lea. It is owned by

Boone Newspapers Boone Newspapers, Incorporated (BNI) is the parent company of a publishing business that includes dozens newspapers as well as magazines, other published materials, and internet properties in the United States. It is a private company and owns pap ...

. Radio stations with Albert Lea as the city of license include: *

KATE Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

an AM radio station broadcasting at 1450 kHz. The station airs news/talk programming and is owned by

Alpha Media Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , which ...

. *

KCPI KCPI (94.9 FM, "94.9 The Breeze") is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States, the station serves the Albert Lea- Austin area. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media A ...

"94.9 The Breeze" an FM radio station broadcasting at 94.9 MHz. The station airs an adult contemporary music programming and is owned by

. *

KQPR KQPR (96.1 FM, "Power 96") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock/full service format. Licensed to Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States, the station serves the Albert Lea-Austin area. The station is currently owned by Daniel and Barba ...

"Power 96" an FM radio station broadcasting at 96.1 MHz. The station airs classic rock music programming and is owned by D&Z Media LLC.

Notable people

Clare Hibbs Armstrong Clare Hibbs Armstrong (January 23, 1894 – July 12, 1969) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of brigadier general. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he was the commanding officer of the 50th Ant ...

, brigadier general during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

* Alfred Berglund, Minnesota state senator and farmer *

Beatrice Gjertsen Bessesen Beatrice Gjertsen Bessesen (1886 – September 7, 1935) was an American operatic soprano. She was the president of the Twin City Music and Dramatic Club. Bessesen sang with the St. Olaf Choir and toured with it in Norway. She made successful conce ...

(1886–1935), operatic soprano and namesake of the

Bessesen Building The Historic Bessesen Building, formerly called the B.B. Theater and Conservatory of Music and later the Rivoli Theater, is located at 224 South Broadway in Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States. It has been used for both commercial and residential ...

on the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Minnesota This is a list of sites in Minnesota which are included in the National Register of Historic Places. There are more than 1,700 properties and historic districts listed on the NRHP; each of Minnesota's 87 counties has at least 2 listings. Twent ...

Tom Brown (Canadian football) Tom Brown (born December 5, 1936) is a former professional Canadian football player, and a former outstanding American college football player. He played collegiately at the University of Minnesota, and won the Outland Trophy in 1960 as the nati ...

Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...

and

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

football star; 1960

Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...

winner and

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

runner-up;

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

and

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...

inductee * Richard Carlson, sci-fi and horror, writer, director and actor, best known for ''

Creature from the Black Lagoon ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars ...

'' *

Vinny Cerrato Vinny Cerrato is a former executive for the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He served as the Redskins' de facto general manager throughout the 2000s. Cerrato has also been an analyst and film actor ...

, former

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

general manager *

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire ...

, rockabilly musician (composer of "

Summertime Blues "Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by American rock artist Eddie Cochran. It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the ''B ...

" and "

Twenty Flight Rock "Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy ''The Girl Can't Help It'', and released as a single the following year. The song was published in 1957 as written by Ned Fairchild and Eddie Cochran, by ...

") *

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American cartoonist and musician who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contem ...

, cartoonist and musician. His family often moved between Philadelphia and Albert Lea, his father Charles's hometown *

Richard Fitzgerald Richard Fitzgerald VC (December 1831, St. Finbar's, Cork, Ireland – 1884 in India) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross. Details He was approximately 25 years old, and a Gunner in the Bengal Horse Artillery, Bengal Army during the ...

, farmer, businessman, and Minnesota state legislator *

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...

, comedian, commentator and U.S. Senator, attended Hawthorne Elementary and Abbott Elementary * Joan Claire Graham, writer, editor and publisher * Alexander Grinager, an artist most noted for his murals, born in Albert Lea * Rudolph Hanson, lawyer and Minnesota state legislator *

Steve Heitzeg Steve Heitzeg (born October 15, 1959) is an American composer whose works include compositions for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensemble, ballet, and film. He is well known for themes of environmentalism and social justice in his work, which ofte ...

, composer, born in Albert Lea * Mary Kelly, conceptual artist * John A. Lovely, Minnesota Supreme Court justice * Paul Overgaard, businessman and Minnesota state legislator *

Tim Penny Timothy Joseph Penny (born November 19, 1951) is an American author, musician, and former politician from Minnesota. Penny was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor member of the United States House of Representatives, 1983–1995, representing Minnesota's ...

, U.S. Representative (1983–1995), born in Albert Lea *

Mark Piepho Mark J. Piepho (born November 28, 1952) was an American politician and businessman. Piepho was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He lived in Rochester, Minnesota with his family and graduated from Rochester Lourdes High School in 1971 and then graduat ...

, businessman and Minnesota state legislator *

Marion Ross Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom ''Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she receive ...

, actress (''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...

''); the town's civic theater was renamed the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center *

Perry Saturn Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Champions ...

, professional wrestler * Warren Stowell, teacher, businessman, and Minnesota state legislator

References

External links

City of Albert Lea Official website
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Freeborn County, Minnesota County seats in Minnesota Populated places established in 1855 1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory