By Ed Shannon, staff writer

Several trees on the grounds of Lakeview Elementary School may be survivors of a special occasion 122 years ago. That&8217;s when these trees and many others were planted on what was the campus of the Albert Lea College for Women.

On May 1, 1885, the main building for the new college scheduled for opening in the fall was nearly complete. An added special touch to what was at that time a somewhat barren hillock would be the addition of some young trees. These trees could add shade and atmosphere and grow with the college.

The date of May 1 was selected to be the local observance of Arbor Day. Area residents were invited to participate in this tree planting event. Making this all possible was the donation of 200 young trees by Mrs. John Ruble. These trees were maples, elms and butternuts. They were taken to the campus by several volunteers with their horse-drawn wagons.

This tree planting started at noon. Rev. Russell B. Abbott, who had resigned as the pastor of Albert Lea&8217;s Presbyterian Church to become the college president, supervised the planting and locations for the trees.

A Freeborn County Standard article in the May 6, 1885, issue said each tree was dedicated to a specific person. These dedications included members of the families involved with the tree planting, plus General U.S. Grant, General John A. Logan (founder of the Grand Army of the Republic veterans&8217; organization, plus starting what&8217;s now known as Memorial Day) and President Grover Cleveland and his sister.

At 5 p.m. a potluck meal was held in the college dining room for the 50 people who participated in the tree planting.

The Freeborn County Standard article concluded with these comments:

&8220;About 200 trees altogether of the best varieties were well set out and there was the heartiest expressions of satisfaction among all over the day&8217;s labors. A plat of the ground will be carefully made and the location of each tree with the name of the person for whom it was set will be recorded and preserved in the college records, so that when the workers of May 1st, 1885, and even many generations following them, shall have passed from the earth, the trees they have planted and preserved during their lives shall prove a shade, a shelter, and a joy forever to the future dwellers of Albert Lea, and the numberless pupils and their teachers of the great and noble college that is to be.&8221;

This Presbyterian college for women opened in the fall of 1885 with 51 students. A few years later a second building was added to provide more dormitory and classroom space. In 1909 the W.W. Cargill Science Hall and James J. Hill Heating Plant were added to the college campus. Both of these newer buildings were across what was then North Pearl Street from the college&8217;s two main buildings. (The name of this street resulted in confusion with another Pearl Street on the city&8217;s south side. In the 1930s the name was changed to Abbott Street to honor the college&8217;s first president.)

When Macalester College in St. Paul became co-educational, the Presbyterian Synod withdrew its support for the Albert Lea College for Women and it closed in 1916.

The Albert Lea School District purchased the campus property in 1919. The Cargill building near the Summer Street corner became the Abbott Elementary School from 1921 to 1966. About a block away the Hill building at the Winter Avenue corner became a laundry for many years. Within a few years the college&8217;s two main buildings were torn down and the former campus area became a school playground and athletic field for Albert Lea High School.

Through the years many of the trees planted in 1885 have been removed because of the changes made to the former college campus. Other trees were lost to diseases like Dutch elm. And in more recent years newer trees were planted to enhance the grounds of Lakeview Elementary School which opened in 1968.

Today, Lakeview occupies the area once occupied by the college&8217;s two main buildings. The former Cargill and later elementary school building was converted into the present Abbott Apartments in 1977.