A short history of Freeport
Freeport was founded as a European-American settlement in November 1912 by the Freeport Sulphur Company. The population was 300. However, by 1929, that population had grown to 3,500, and to 4,100 by 1939, influencing a steady increase of economic expansion in Freeport.
By 1937, a Freeport School District had been established, consisting of several segregated schools and 27 teachers. There were two white schools, one black school, and a white high school.
Freeport's most substantial economic growth began with the construction of Dow Chemical Company facilities in the city during 1939. As of 2007, this company is the community's largest employer. As of 2011, Freeport had Dow's largest single manufacturing site in the 21st century.
In July 1957, Freeport merged with Velasco. This had been a temporary capital of the Republic of Texas during the 19th century. Soon thereafter, Freeport's population numbered 11,619. In 2003, the city annexed nearby Bryan Beach.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Freeport, Texas, revision 1380695974 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.