How well do you know the geography of the Albert Lea area?

On this Thanksgiving Day, you can quiz that relative across the room about it. You know the one. They hardly call. They don’t go to reunions, campouts, graduation celebrations or birthday parties. They come back to the area about once every four or five years from some far-off destination, acting like they know everything about the world.

Well, this quiz will prove they don’t know a whole lot after all.

OK, maybe we are going overboard here. Let’s rephrase this: Ask anyone of your friends and relatives these questions. We hope you have fun.

1. Which city is larger in population?

A. Lake Mills

B. Northwood

C. Wells

D. New Richland

2. Which county is larger in population?

A. Freeborn

B. Mower

C. Steele

D. Waseca

3. What is at 126 W. Clark St. in Albert Lea?

A. Jake’s Pizza

B. KQPR Power 96

C. First Baptist Church

D. Albert Lea City Hall

4. Which river does not start in Freeborn County?

A. LeSueur

B. Straight

C. Shell Rock

D. Big Cobb

5. Which Iowa-Minnesota border crossing is shown in this photo?

A. U.S. Highway 69

B. Interstate 35

C. County Road 18

D. U.S. Highway 65

6. What lake is northwest of Ellendale?

A. Oak Glen Lake

B. Spicer Lake

C. Sugar Lake

D. Beaver Lake

7. In which Freeborn County township did Tim Penny grow up?

A. Mansfield

B. Bancroft

C. Nunda

D. Freeman

8. Where are the street signs shown in the photograph?

A. Duh! E. Charles St. and River Lane

B. Park Avenue Peninsula

C. Gordonsville

D. Historical Village

9. Which unincorporated city has the least estimated population?

A. Deer Creek

B. Lerdal

C. Newry

D. Bath

10. What is the average daily traffic count on Interstate 35 between the I-90 interchange and the first Albert Lea exit?

A. 28,200

B. 21,600

C. 13,200

D. 11,600

11. Besides Interstate 90, which highway in Faribault County is the busiest?

A. State Highway 22

B. State Highway 109

C. U.S. Highway 169

D. Faribault County Road 16

12. What is the county seat of Winnebago County, Iowa?

A. Lake Mills

B. Forest City

C. Thompson

D. Buffalo Center

13. This photo of the Drommerhausen Carriage Repository, located in the 200 block on the north side of East Clark street, was taken prior to 1900. What’s now at this location?

A. American Gas Machine Co.

B. Albert Lea City Hall

C. St. Theodore Catholic Church

D. Bill & Mark’s Barber Shop

14. Which city is not in Worth County, Iowa?

A. Hanlontown

B. Joice

C. Grafton

D. Rock Falls

15. Which Albert Lea park does not have an outdoor ice rink?

A. Hayek Park

B. Lakeview Park

C. Frank Hall Park

D. Hawthorne Park

16. In which Albert Lea park is this plastic dinosaur?

A. Valley Park

B. Eberhardt Park

C. Troy-Hammer Park

D. Songergaard Park

17. Which city is nearest to an ethanol refinery plant?

A. Scarville

B. Emmons

C. Glenville

D. Hayward

18. This was the Albert Lea Opera House, built in 1878 and torn down in 1922. What present building took its place?

A. Freeborn National Bank

B. Home Federal Savings Bank

C. Alliant Energy

D. Freeborn County Co-op Oil Station

19. What is the smallest incorporated city in Freeborn County by population?

A. Conger

B. Myrtle

C. Emmons

D. Freeborn

20. The street pictured is a new addition to a street in Albert Lea. What is its name?

A. Fourteenth Street

B. Sunset Street

C. Ninth Street

D. Pride Lane

21. Which school district’s mascot name is the Rebels?

A. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva

B. Myrtle-London-Oakland-Moscow-Newry

C. United South Central

D. Glenville-Emmons

22. Which area wind farm has a recycled barn for its operation and maintenance center?

A. Bent Tree Wind Farm

B. Winnebago Wind Farm

C. G. McNeilus Wind Farm

D. Top of Iowa Wind Farm

23. Which former school had a mascot known as the Eagles?

A. Bricelyn

B. Emmons

C. Thompson

D. Ellendale-Geneva

24. Which area golf course is near a KOA Campground?

A. Holiday Park Golf Course

B. Arrowhead Country Club

C. Riverview Golf Course

D. Oak View Golf Course

25. Which state park features the second highest point in Iowa?

A. McIntosh Woods

B. Pilot Knob

C. Fort Defiance

D. Rice Lake

26. Prior to 1940, what was the building in the 200 block of East Clark Street behind the parked car was known as?

A. Clark Street Shoe Store

B. Dorman Hotel

C. Clark Street Grocery

D. Clark Street Cafe

27. This particular building no longer exists. However, for many years it was known as the location of what business?

A. Security State Bank

B. Palmer Clinic

C. Farmers State Bank

D. Goodwin Hotel

28. How many acres is Big Island?

A. 271

B. 84

C. 168

D. 116

29. Which is a geographical feature of Albert Lea Lake?

A. Moraine Peninsula

B. Maple Island

C. Dane Bay

D. New York Point

30. This building has been used for a garage and a motorcycle dealership. Now it’s being used by which of the following?

A. East Side Laundry

B. South Side Grocery

C. Quizno’s

D. West Side Cycling

31. Which route terminates in Port Arthur, Texas?

A. U.S. Highway 65

B. U.S. Highway 69

C. Interstate 35

D. Interstate 90

32. Which route terminates in Laredo, Texas?

A. U.S. Highway 65

B. U.S. Highway 69

C. Interstate 35

D. Interstate 90

33. Which route terminates in Clayton, La.?

A. U.S. Highway 65

B. U.S. Highway 69

C. Interstate 35

D. Interstate 90

34. Which route terminates in Seattle?

A. U.S. Highway 65

B. U.S. Highway 69

C. Interstate 35

D. Interstate 90

35. The corner of South Washington Avenue and West Main Street has been the site of which businesses through the years?

A. A lumber yard

B. A pharmacy

C. A grocery store

D. All the above

36. Which local Minnesota highway goes through Mendota?

A. Highway 13

B. Highway 30

C. Highway 251

D. Highway 22

37. Which gravel Freeborn County road has the most traffic?

A. County 5

B. County 2

C. County 7

D. County 37

38. In which cemetery would you find these three crosses?

A. Graceland Cemetery

B. Silver Lake Cemetery

C. Hillcrest Cemetery

D. Lakewood Cemetery

39. Which Freeborn County road was once U.S. Highway 16?

A. County 45

B. County 46

C. County 35

D. County 13

40. City Arena is in which of Albert Lea’s wards?

A. Ward 2

B. Ward 3

C. Ward 5

D. Ward 6

41. Which city celebrates Kernel Days every summer?

A. Emmons

B. Kiester

C. Wells

D. New Richland

42. Which city is known for its onions and potatoes?

A. Hollandale

B. Bricelyn

C. Ellendale

D. Walters

43. Walters is in which township?

A. Dunbar

B. Clark

C. Foster

D. Seely

44. Stoney Creek Estates is in which of Albert Lea’s wards?

A. Ward 3

B. Ward 4

C. Ward 5

D. Ward 6

45. Which former school had a mascot known as the Yeomen?

A. Wells

B. New Richland-Hartland

C. Ellendale-Geneva

D. Freeborn

46. How many miles of shoreline does Albert Lea Lake have?

A. 18

B. 26

C. 34

D. 51

47. Who is the state representative for Wells?

A. Tony Cornish

B. John Branstad

C. Jeanne Poppe

D. Kathy Brynaert

48. Which House district is Ellendale in?

A. District 24A

B. District 24B

C. District 25A

D. District 26B

49. Which Senate district is New Richland in?

A. District 24

B. District 25

C. District 26

D. District 27

50. What is the name of this church?

A. Crossroads Church

B. Wells United Methodist Church

C. Vista Evangelical Covenant Church

D. Hollandale Christian Reformed Church

51. What township in Worth County is the Diamond Jo Casino in?

A. Deer Creek

B. Grove

C. Hartland

D. Silver Lake

52. The Iowa-Minnesota border is defined as being at what latitude?

A. 43 degrees 30 minutes north

B. 40 degrees 44 minutes north

C. 49 degrees north

D. 54 degree 40 minutes north

53. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, what percentage of Freeborn County residents are Hispanic in origin?

A. 1.7 percent

B. 3.8 percent

C. 6.6 percent

D. 10.1 percent

54. What is Freeborn County’s population density?

A. 35 people per square mile

B. 46 people per square mile

C. 67 people per square mile

D. 92 people per square mile

55. Are there more men or women in Freeborn County?

A. Men

B. Women

56. In which Albert Lea park can you find these signs?

A. Bancroft Bay Park

B. Shoff Park

C. City Beach

D. Central Park

57. The Albert Lea City Council recently changed the name of a park to Weber Park. What was the former name?

A. Dress Island

B. Lincoln Park

C. Summer Park

D. Lee Park

58. How many square miles is Freeborn County?

A. 707.64

B. 700.98

C. 687.22

D. 717.43

59. Back in 1897 or 1898 one of the South Broadway Avenue buildings in the background of the photograph was the site of one of the city’s first what?

A. Hospitals

B. Variety stores

C. Meat markets

D. None of the above

60. There is a business in Albert Lea that has a transmission hanging from its company sign. What is it?

A. Broadway Automotive

B. Jeff’s Auto & Transmission Repair

C. R&D Automotive Repair

D. King Transmission

61. What township in Freeborn County is Bear Lake in?

A. Mansfield

B. Nunda

C. Newry

D. Freeman

62. What is the name of the lake in Alden?

A. Morin Lake

B. School Section Lake

C. Penny Lake

D. Trenton Lake

63. Which creek is the outlet of Geneva Lake?

A. Peter Lund Creek

B. Mud Creek

C. Turtle Creek

D. Lime Creek

64. This condominium replaced what particular part of the city’s landscape.

A. Lake Shore Greenhouse

B. North Side School

C. North Shore Greenhouse

D. None of the above

65. This is the alley side of which downtown Albert Lea building?

A. Brick Furniture

B. Knutson Building

C. Freeborn County Shopper

D. Freeborn County Co-op Oil Station

66. Where would you find Skyline Jewelers?

A. Skyline Plaza

B. Downtown

C. Northbridge Mall

D. Trail’s Travel Center

67. Which town has a bar that is the same name as a TV sitcom?

A. Hayward

B. Freeborn

C. Clarks Grove

D. Glenville

68. How many townships are there in Freeborn County?

A. 16

B. 20

C. 24

D. 30

69. What city does Minnesota Highway 251 go through?

A. Hollandale

B. Geneva

C. Ellendale

D. Kiester

Thank you for playing.

Answers

1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. D 6. D 7. A 8. D 9. B 10. A 11. C 12. B 13. B 14. D 15. C 16. A 17. C 18. C 19. B 20. A 21. C 22. D 23. B 24. A 25. B 26. D 27. A 28. D 29. D 30. C 31. B 32. C 33. A 34. D 35. D 36. A 37. A 38. C 39. B 40. B 41. C 42. A 43. C 44. D 45. D 46. B 47. A 48. D 49. A 50. C 51. C 52. A 53. C 54. B 55. B 56. A 57. D 58. A 59. A 60. B 61. B 62. A 63. C 64. B 65. B 66. C 67. D 68. B 69. A

60-69 correct: Local yokel

50-59 correct: Country bumpkin

40-49 correct: Hayseed

30-39 correct: Prodigal son/daughter

20-29 correct: City slicker

0-19 correct: Just fell off turnip truck