FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

    Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB Number: 3235-0287
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden
hours per response. . .0.5

Filed By Romeo & Dye's Instant Form 4 Filer
www.section16.net

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*

Edwards Robert D.

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ALLETE (ALE)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
    Director                                       10% Owner
X Officer (give title below)          Other (specify below)

Exec. VP; CEO Minnesota Power                     

(Last)      (First)     (Middle)

30 West Superior Street
 

3. I.R.S. Identification Number
of Reporting Person,
if an entity (voluntary)

(Street)

Duluth, MN 55802

(City)     (State)     (Zip)

Table I — Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1. Title of Security
(Instr. 3)

2. Trans-
action
Date
(Month/ Day/
Year)

2A. Deemed
Execution
Date,
if any
(Month/Day/
Year)

3. Trans-
action Code
(Instr. 8)

4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 & 5)

5. Amount of
Securities
Beneficially
Owned Follow-
ing Reported Transactions(s)
(Instr. 3 & 4)

6. Owner-
ship Form:
Direct (D)
or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

7. Nature of Indirect
Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

V

Amount

(A)
or
(D)

Price

Common Stock

53808.735⁽¹⁾

D

Common Stock

16705.964⁽²⁾

I

By RSOP Trust

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security

(Instr. 3)

2. Conver-
sion or
Exercise
Price of Derivative Security

3. Trans-
action Date

(Month/
Day/
Year)

4. Trans-
action
Code

(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)

(Instr. 3, 4 & 5)

6. Date Exercisable
and Expiration
Date
(Month/Day/
Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 & 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of
Derivative
Securities
Beneficially
Owned
Following
Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Owner-
ship Form
of Deriv-
ative
Security:
Direct (D)
or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exer-cisable

Expira-
tion
Date

Title

Amount or Number of
Shares

Explanation of Responses:

(1) Includes shares acquired in exempt transactions under the dividend reinvestment feature of ALLETE's stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan. This information is based on a plan statement as of September 30, 2002.
(2) Gives effect to recent ESOP allocations and dispositions. Also includes shares acquired in exempt transactions under ALLETE's retirement savings and stock ownership plan (RSOP). RSOP is the recent consolidation of ALLETE's supplemental retirement and employee stock ownership plans. This information is based on an RSOP statement as of September 30, 2002.

**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
          If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.