By Pat Mulso, special to the Tribune

The beginning of Albert Lea, which is nearing the end of its yearlong sesquicentennial celebration, is closely tied to the beginning of Freeborn County, which celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2007.

The county was surveyed and the township, range and section lines were first staked in 1854. At that time the county only had one settler, by the name of Gulbrandson, who was living just north of the Iowa state line. In the spring of 1855 Milton Morey settled near Lake Geneva. When Morey went east to get his family he met others, who also came to Freeborn County in 1855. Some of the early settlers arrived via the Cedar River.

In June of 1855 Lorenzo Merry, a native of New York, arrived in Albert Lea and became the location&8217;s first settler. He built a cabin near the intersection of what is now Washington Avenue and Water Street. Merry sold part of his land claim to Thomas Thorne and a major portion to Lucius P. Wedge.

Wedge, though he died early, had a lot to do with other early residents arriving in Albert Lea. His land purchase brought the following relatives to the city a little later: his brother-in-law, Austin D. Clarke; his widow, Mary Felicia Clark Wedge (later married Augustus Armstrong), his niece, Margaret Wedge (who married William Morin), his nephew, Dr. A.C. Wedge and his son, Clarence Wedge and probably a few others.

A month after L. Merry settled in Albert Lea, George S. Ruble arrived. Ruble was from Beloit, Wis. In the autumn of that same year he brought his wife and son, Charles Newton Ruble, to Albert Lea. The family built a cabin on Bridge Street. George Ruble made preparations to build a dam and in 1856 erected a mill. Many workmen came to work for him, but most did not stay in Albert Lea after the work was completed. There were other settlers who began to occupy other areas in the county during 1855. The larger influx into the county began in the spring of 1856.

By the spring of 1856 there were five houses in Albert Lea or near by the city. Other names in the county included Colby, LyBrand and Thompson. A man named Wilder had a cabin in Pickerel Township, but sold it to John Ruble in the spring of 1856. Some others who arrived in 1856 to settle in Albert Lea were William Morin, Julius Clark, William Kellar, J.D. Dudley, J.C. Baer, John Ruble, David Stilson, A.W. White, Daniel Hurd, Hanibal Bickford, Benjamin Frost. Peter Clausen, Bradford Blackmer, Moses Hoope and George P. Hoope.

Julius Clark was the first merchant in Albert Lea. He had been engaged in the mercantile business in Ohio prior to his arrival in Albert Lea. He only stayed in Albert Lea for two years, but Clark Street was named after him.

Other firsts for Albert Lea are as follows: Lorenzo Merry opened the first hotel on June 1, 1855, apparently this was from his home. Lorenzo Merry and George Ruble located and founded Albert Lea. In March of 1856 the first child was born in Albert Lea, a daughter, Louisa, to Mr. and Mrs.

Walford. Rev. Lowry and Rev. McReynolds preached the first sermon. On Dec. 5, 1857, the first public school was opened in a log room on Elizabeth & William Streets.

In 1857 G. W. Watrous opened the first brickyard and William Grey opened the first saloon. The first lawyers to practice law were Augustus Armstrong and A.B. Webber; the grand opening of the Webber House was on Nov. 24, 1857, and Lorenzo Merry became the first postmaster for Albert Lea. The first physician was Dr. A. C. Wedge, who also opened the first drug store in Albert Lea on May 10, 1857.

Albert Lea was incorporated as a village in 1858. A.C. Wedge was the chairman of the first Board of Commissioners. The first wagon shop (also the first manufacturing business in Albert Lea) also began in 1858. Francis Hall started a small private bank in 1867 that developed into the First National. In 1867 William Fenholt built the Farmers Hotel, also known as the City Hotel (located in the 200 block of East Clark Street).

Earlier he had been a farmer near Freeborn and a Civil War veteran. Around 1908 this hotel building was the location of the Albert Lea Construction Co. In 1915 the structure was replaced by a brick building for the Hotel Rogers, later became the Hotel Goodwin, and presently it is the Hotel Dorman and Heart of the Artichoke.

The first train into Albert Lea was on Oct. 16, 1869, and on July 18, 1871, the first fire department was organized. Albert Lea College cornerstone was laid in 1883 and Luther Academy was built in 1890.

Those were certainly busy years in Albert Lea&8217;s history as are the years now. There were many establishments that came and went over the years and some of them were never recorded or are scarcely caught in some form of advertisement or story that was published about them. The Albert Lea Tribune and the Freeborn County Historical Museum serve as two important means for recording local history.

Please support the Freeborn County Historical Museum with memberships and donations so that it can help &8220;Preserve the History of our Community.&8221;

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum. &8220;It has been a very busy but delightful year to share in the celebration of the history of Albert Lea,&8221; she said.