Freeport (United States)

Freeport 1 City (1990 pop. 25,840), seat of Stephenson co., NW Ill., on the Pecatonica River; inc. 1850. It is a trade and manufacturing center in a fertile farm and dairy region. Among its manufactures are brass, aluminum, tires, and switches. Freeport was the scene of the second Lincoln-Douglas debate (1858), in which Douglas expounded his famous "Freeport doctrine." 2 Town (1990 pop. 6,905), including Freeport village, SW Maine, on Casco Bay; settled c.1700, incorporated 1789. The town is headquarters to the L. L. Bean mail-order company and the site of its flagship store and of factory-outlet stores. The Desert of Maine, a sandy, treeless wasteland and tourist attraction, is nearby. 3 Town (1990 pop. 39,894), Nassau co., SE N.Y., on the south shore of Long Island, a residential suburb of New York City; settled as a village c.1650, inc. 1892. It is a resort and a deep-sea fishing and oystering center, with access to the Atlantic Ocean through Jones Inlet. Jones Beach State Park is nearby. 4 City (1990 pop. 11,389), Brazoria co., SE Tex., on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Brazos River, on the Intracoastal Waterway ; inc. 1949. The center of a thriving ranching, oil, and natural gas producing region known as Brazosport, Freeport has large chemical and shrimping industries; its products include magnesium extracted from seawater and vitamins. New port facilities were opened in 1955, and historic Velasco was annexed in 1957. Beaches and deep-sea fishing facilities attract tourists.

Freeport, The Bahamas, Canada, USA 1. The Bahamas: founded in 1955 as a ‘free port’, thus tax exempt.2. USA (Illinois): founded in 1835 as Winneshiek. However, Freeport was adopted as a result of the hospitality of an early settler, William Baker, and his wife.