Freedom, California
| Freedom | |
|---|---|
| census-designated place | |
 Location in Santa Cruz County and the state of California |
|
 Freedom
|
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| Coordinates: 36°56′26″N 121°47′22″W / 36.94056°N 121.78944°WCoordinates: 36°56′26″N 121°47′22″W / 36.94056°N 121.78944°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 California
|
| County | Santa Cruz |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.104 sq mi (2.859 km2) |
| • Land | 1.104 sq mi (2.859 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,070 |
| • Density | 2,800/sq mi (1,100/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 95019 |
| Area code(s) | 831 |
| FIPS code | 06-25576 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658576 |
Freedom is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 3,070 at the 2010 census.
Freedom is located at 36°56′26″N 121°47′22″W / 36.94056°N 121.78944°W (36.940452, -121.789376). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all of it land. It is adjacent to and blends with the incorporated city of Watsonville.
The village was originally called Whiskey Hill: "It sprang into existence at the juncture of the Santa Cruz Road (Freedom Boulevard) and the trail up to Green Valley (Green Valley Road) at about the same time that Watsonville began to grow on the banks of the Pajaro River. By 1852, it was already a motley collection of a dozen rude shanties scattered along the road, each one containing a cantina which catered to the vaqueros of the San Andreas and Los Corralitos Ranchos. They featured, not only whiskey and "aguardiente" of the more volatile brew, but also gaming tables and hordes of randy women. The saloons and brothels of Whiskey Hill were said to be among the most wicked and wild in the state. In June 1877 the citizens decided to change the name of the village to Freedom perhaps in the hope that by adopting a more placid appellation there would be a corresponding change in reputation. If indeed that was a part of their thinking it proved to be singularly unsuccessful, as the fighting, drinking, and sinning continued on into the 20th century."
The 2010 United States Census reported that Freedom had a population of 3,070. The population density was 2,780.8 people per square mile (1,073.7/km²). The racial makeup of Freedom was 1,452 (47.3%) White, 44 (1.4%) African American, 31 (1.0%) Native American, 100 (3.3%) Asian, 1,285 (41.9%) from other races, and 158 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,170 persons (70.7%).
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