Freeport, IL

Freeport Winneshiek
City
Freeport City Hall Building
Nickname(s): Pretzel City, USA
Location of Freeport in Stephenson County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 42°17′31″N 89°37′49″W / 42.29194°N 89.63028°W / 42.29194; -89.63028Coordinates: 42°17′31″N 89°37′49″W / 42.29194°N 89.63028°W / 42.29194; -89.63028
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Stephenson
Township	Freeport
Founded	1827
Incorporated	1838
Government
• Mayor	Jodi Miller
Area
• Total	11.77 sq mi (30.49 km2)
• Land	11.76 sq mi (30.47 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	778 ft (237 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	25,638
• Estimate (2016)	24,392
• Density	2,073.62/sq mi (800.61/km2)
ZIP Code(s)	61032
Area code(s)	815/779
FIPS code	17-27884
Freeport, Illinois
Website	http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/

Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois. The population was 25,638 at the 2010 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858, and as "Pretzel City, USA", named after the heritage of its Germanic settlers in the 1850s and the Billerbeck Bakery pretzel company that started as a result of their arrival. Freeport High School's mascot is the Pretzel to honor this unique heritage.

The community was originally called Winneshiek. When it was incorporated, the new municipality took its name from the generosity of Tutty Baker, who was credited with running a "free port" on the Pecatonica River. The name "Winneshiek" was later adopted, and is preserved to this day, by the Freeport Community Theatre Group.

In 1837, Stephenson County was formed and Freeport became its seat of government in 1838. Linked by a stagecoach with Chicago, the community grew rapidly. In 1840, a frame courthouse was erected and the first school was founded. Within two years, Freeport had two newspapers and in 1853, the two were joined by a third which published in German. By then, the community had a population of 2,000.

On August 27, 1858, the second debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas took place in Freeport and gave the nation direction in the following years. Although Stephen Douglas won the election and retained his U.S. Senate seat, his reply to a question on slavery alienated the South, which called it the "Freeport Heresy", and split the Democratic Party. This enabled Abraham Lincoln to win the Presidency in 1860.