Historic U.S. Highway 65: Old Road between the Iowa Border and Albert Lea
Old Road between the Iowa Border and Albert Lea
Located: East of modern U.S. 65 in south-central Freeborn County.
Historic Context: Pre-trunk highway system road.
Length: 13.5 miles (1930)
Constructed: 10.3 miles graded as a county road in 1921, remainder a gravel road of unknown construction.
Bypassed: 1930, by construction of the first modern trunk highway.
Also Part Of:
Status: Nearly all rebuilt or widened as county roads. About 4 miles appears to have been maintained in original condition.
Access: Public, via modern U.S. 65 at junctions with County Road 19 (north end), and County Road 106 (south end).
More U.S. 65 Articles
North >> Old Route at Albert Lea (Broadway and William Street)
U.S. 65's original route between the Iowa border and Albert Lea ran along what are now a string of county roads just to the east of the modern highway. Although most of the route has been paved and modernized, a few peeks of the road as it once was remain.
Overview Map
The original route mostly followed the public land survey grid between the Iowa border and the town of Glenville. After passing directly through downtown Glenville, the road turned north to follow the Shell Rock River north to Albert Lea Lake. From there it turned west and followed the south shore of the lake into Albert Lea.
The entire road was gravel, graded to at least 24 feet wide, typical of the improvements made to local roads before the creation of Minnesota's trunk highway system (in fact, when it was taken over by the state in 1921 as part of State Route 1 most of the road was in the process of being improved as part of an already planned county job). At the time it was also part of the famous Jefferson Trail.
The road was replaced by the construction of the first modern highway between 1929 and 1930 along what is still U.S. 65's alignment today, paralleling the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad. The new road cut nearly 2.5 miles off the route, eliminated many sharp curves, and bypassed downtown Glenville.
After being bypassed, what was once one continuous road was broken up into pieces, with old hair-pin curves that once directed traffic being replaced by standard right-angle intersections. The road is now marked as part of 7 different county roads over only 13 miles!
Photo Tour
Photos are ordered roughly from south to north. The path of the old road is represented by a red line in detail maps. Photos were taken by the author in July, 2010 and August, 2011.
The old route begins at the Iowa Border, where County Road 106 meets modern U.S. 65. The image above compares the site today with how it looked back in 1938. Note how the path of the old highway curved onto what is now Mockingbird Lane, which today marks the location of the old border crossing.
Looking east on County Road 106 from U.S. 65 towards Mockingbird Lane.
Looking southwest at Mockingbird Lane at the old border crossing. Modern U.S. 65 can be seen in the background.
County Road 106 as it winds its way into the farmland of southern Minnesota. This section of the road appears to have been maintained in its original condition. It remains this way for about a mile until it runs into County Road 1.
A view back to the south a bit further up County Road 106.
After a mile, County Road 106 ends at County Road 1, where the old route turned left and followed it a quarter of a mile west, where a very shallow curve turned traffic right onto what is now County Road 26 (see the 1938 image above). The curve is now gone, and County Roads 1 and 26 have been widened and paved.
Looking northwest at the junction with County Road 1 towards Gordonsville. The old route turned left here.
On County Road 1, looking west towards Gordonsville.
The junction with County Road 26, where the route once turned right.
Northbound on County Road 26.
After following County Road 26 north for four miles, the old road curved to the left at what is now the junction with County Road 13 towards Glenville. The image above shows that the curve had already been abandoned by 1938. All trace of it has been erased (also note the disappearance of both the farmstead to the north and the buildings at the junction).
Northbound at the junction with County Road 13. Note the sign ahead pointing the way to Glenville.
Westbound on County Road 13 towards Glenville.
After about a mile, County Road 13 curves to the north as it approaches the Shell Rock River. The curve was softened at some point after 1938, probably in 1980 when the current bridge over the Shell Rock River was built, which replaced the old concrete deck girder structure built in 1921. A portion of the original curve was left behind as a residential street (Shellrock Lane).
County Road 13 westbound as it makes its way into Glenville. The old road used by U.S. 65 (Shellrock Lane) is on the right.
Shell Rock Lane ends at
the road to Glenville Beach. It originally continued ahead through the bushes.
Looking north from Shellrock Lane up the road to Glenville Beach (not the old highway), showing the old Illinois Central rail overpass.
Looking west into downtown Glenville on the current bridge over the Shell Rock River.
View to the north at the Shell Rock River in Glenville, showing the old Illinois Central bridge.
Another view to the west on Main Street in sleepy downtown Glenville.
Looking back to the east down Main Street from 3rd Avenue.
Looking west on Main Street (Co Rd 13) at 3rd Avenue in Glenville. U.S. 65 made a hard turn to the right here onto what is now County Road 81. The junction with the
county road is unmarked, making it easy to miss.
Looking north on County Road 81 from Main Street towards the at-grade rail crossing.
A closer view of the grade crossing in Glenville, looking back to the south. Although this crossing was bypassed by the new highway in 1930, it was only replaced with another crossing of the same type, which is still there today (although reduced to one track).
View to the south on County Road 81, with the grain elevators of Glenville towering in the distance.
Northbound again on County Road 81 at the Glenville city limits, where the pavement gives way to gravel.
Scene on County Road 81 north of Glenville.
County Road 81 northbound, approaching the junction with County Road 84.
After about two miles, County Road 81 runs into County Road 84. The old road used to curve to the west onto County Road 84, and then after about another mile curved back to the north at Glenville 1st Lutheran Cemetery (mouse-over the image above to compare the road today with how it appeared in 1938). Both of the curves are gone, replaced with standard right-angle "T" intersections. County Road 84 has been widened and paved, while both sections of County Road 81 are maintained as they once were.
Looking north at the junction with County Road 84.
Westbound on County Road 84, which follows the path of the old highway for about a mile.
At the west junction with County Road 81, looking west. The old road curved to the north here.
Glenville 1st Lutheran Cemetery at the west junction of County Roads 81 and 84.
Curiously, the concurrence of County Roads 84 and 81 is only marked in the eastbound direction (photo looking southeast).
Northbound on County Road 81 after turning off of County Road 84.
County Road 81 ends after traveling north for about a mile, where it runs into County Road 19 and the south shore of Albert Lea Lake. The old road curved to the left (west) onto County Road 19 and then proceeded along the lake's south shore. The image above shows the path of the original road (highlighted in red) on top of an image of how the roads are configured today (mouse over the image to see the road in 1938). Note how County Road 19 has been realigned and straightened, moving it away from the lake. A boat landing now occupies part of the old right-of-way. The remains of another part of the old road grade survive just southeast of the entrance to St Nicholas Park.
Looking north on County Road 81 at the junction with County Road 19. The junction has been much simplified since the 1930's.
Westbound on County Road 19, which was in the process of being repaved in 2010.
Driving by the boat-landing (right), located on the former right-of-way of the of County Road 19.
(NEW PHOTO! - 8/28/11)
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A bit past the boat landing, looking northbound. On the right behind the car is a small unmarked entrance to what appears to be the old road grade.
(NEW PHOTO! - 8/28/11)
Inside the grove of trees on the old road grade, which is kept mowed.
(NEW PHOTO! - 8/28/11)
A bit further into the grove, where a planting of pine trees has blocked the old road.
The rustic entrance to St Nicholas Historic Park.
County Road 19 eventually crosses over I-35 as it approaches the outskirts of Albert Lea. Just south of the overpass is a short section of old county road, now a residential service drive. It is tempting to think that its part of the original road, but it is in fact not!! Careful comparison of current and 1938 aerial photos has revealed that it is actually a second generation county road, built at some point in the 50's or 60's as part of development in the area. It was bypassed when I-35 was built in the early 1970's. The curve on the original road was even closer to the lake, and has since been destroyed (mouse over the image above to compare the area today with how it appeared in 1938).
On Old County Road 19, looking northwest towards the bridge over I-35.
(NEW PHOTO! - 8/28/11)
The end of the line: on County Road 19 as it approaches modern U.S. 65 on the south side of Albert Lea, looking west from Frank Hall Drive.
On U.S. 65 southbound at its junction with County Road 19, the north end of its old route to the Iowa border.
