Freeport. 1 City (2020 pop. 23,973), 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 (2020 pop. 8,737), 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 (2020 pop. 42,770), 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. The town suffered significant damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. 4 City (2020 pop. 10,696), 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.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography
