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.
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