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resources

delve into the past......

The HCFC Library collections accommodate amateur genealogists to professional historians. Visit our RESEARCH page for fees and how to make a research request.

Resources include but are not limited to:

Freeborn County Standard, Albert Lea MN, March 17, 1870, page 1_edited_edited.jpg

Freeborn County history books (1882, 1911, 1988)

Local newspapers

  • Albert Lea Enterprise (1872 – 1905)

  • Albert Lea Examiner (1919 – 1922)

  • Albert Lea Posten (1883 – 1885)

  • Albert Lea Tribune (1897 – 2022)

  • Alden Advance (1897 – 2022)

  • Alden Eagle (1879 – 1880)

  • Bancroft Pioneer (1858)

  • Emmons Leader (1902 – 1905, 1925 – 1981)

  • Freeborn County Eagle (1858 – 1860)

  • Freeborn County Standard (1860 – 1931)

  • Freeborn County Times (1895 – 1905)

  • Freeborn County Register (1993 – 1995)

  • Freeborn Herald (1860 and 1861)

  • Freeborn Patriot (1934 – 1937)

  • Hartland Herald (1907 – 1924, 1928)

  • Glenville Leader-Press (1981 – 1992)

  • Glenville Progress (1903 – 1961)

  • Semi-weekly Tribune (1902 – 1908)

  • Shellrock Press (1976 – 1981)

  • Times-Emterprise (1905 – 1923)

  • Southern Minnesota Star (1857 – 1858)

  • The Weekly Review (1991 – 1993)

 

Newspaper index

  • The Times, Enterprise, Standard, Times-Enterprise (1865 – 1931) – items indexed include birth, death, marriage, anniversary, divorce, birthday, probate, biographical sketches, and baptism notices

  • Hartland Herald—items include births, deaths, marriages, and probates

  • Emmons Leader – items include births, deaths, marriages, and probates

  • Alden Advance – items include births, deaths, marriages, and probates

  • Glenville Progress—items include births, deaths, marriages, and probates

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Vital records (birth, death, marriage),  (end dates vary by record type)

  • Marriage Books A – G (1857 – 1917)

  • Marriage Records (1917 – 1953)

  • General Index - Deeds - Grantor & Grantee Vol. 1 – 8 (1857 – 1920)

  • General Index - Mortgages - Grantor & Grantee Vol. 1 – 7 (1857 – 1916)

  • Record of Wills (1857 – 1925)

  • Obituary index for the Enterprise, Tribune, Standard, Times, Times-Enterprise

  • Obituary clippings notebooks

  • Index to Deaths (1870 – 1959)

  • Birth index (1870 – 1921)

  • Funeral Home records

  • Probate and Guardianship records

  • Plat maps

  • Plat maps for Freeborn County: 1874 to date

  • Name index for: 1878, 1895, 1901, 1913, and 1928

  • City directories (1899 to date)

  • Telephone books for Albert Lea (1905 to date)

  • Insurance maps for Albert Lea (1884 – 1931)

  • High school yearbooks

  • Albert Lea  High School (1913-2020)

  • Alden High School (1946-1949, 1951, 1964-1966, 1980, 1984-1986)

  • Alden-Conger High School (1989-1991, 1995-1996, 1998, 2001-2004, 2006-2010, 2013-

  • 2014)

  • Emmons High School (1950, 1961-1963, 1965-1968, 1970,1973-1978, 1980-1981, 1983-1988)

  • Freeborn High School (1927-1987)

  • Glenville High School (1957-1973)

  • Cemetery transcripts for Freeborn County

  • Surname index to the cemetery transcripts

  • Federal census

  • State census

  • Scrapbooks

  • Photographs of people, places and events

  • Oral Histories

  • Church histories and records

  • Family histories and genealogies

Southern Minnesota newspapers available on microfilm (Faribault, Mower, Steele & Waseca Counties)

  • Blooming Prairie Times (1897, 1898–1899, 1901, 1917–1988)

  • Blooming Prairie News (1989 – 1993)

  • Bricelyn Sentinel (1899–1909, 1911–1981)

  • Ellendale Eagle (1901–02, 1904–1918, 1919–2007)

  • Kiester Courier (1905, 1907 – 1981)

  • Lyle Tribune (1897 – 1903)

  • New Richland Review (1884 – 1885)

  • New Richland North Star (1886 – 1906)

  • New Richland Star (1906 – 2007)

  • New Richland Star Eagle (2007 – 2008)

  • Owatonna People’s Press (weekly) (1888 – 1921)

  • Wells Atlas (1870 – 1875)

  • Wells Faribault County Leader (1874 – 1875)

  • Wells Advocate (1881, 1885 – 1906)

  • Wells Forum (1898 – 1906)

  • Wells Forum Advocate (1906 – 1912, 1915 – 1925)

  • Wells Mirror (1913 – 2007)

Albert Lea High School Yearbooks

The Albert Lea High School yearbooks are available in the library, as well as online.  

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