1 8 8 5 ▁when ▁the ▁previous ▁Nov el ty ▁Iron ▁Works ▁had ▁gone ▁out ▁of ▁business ▁at ▁the ▁corner ▁of ▁Chicago ▁and ▁Jackson ▁streets . ▁ ▁That ▁earlier ▁company ▁began ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁fire , ▁the ▁Ar cade ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁built ▁an ▁entirely ▁new ▁factory ▁in ▁the ▁Ar cade ▁Add ition ▁of ▁East ▁Free port , ▁where ▁they ▁produced ▁coffee ▁mill s ▁and ▁other ▁metal ▁products . ▁ ▁The ▁historic ▁Germania ▁Club ▁on ▁Steph enson ▁St . ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁Free port ▁is ▁located ▁approximately ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁state ▁line , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁agricult ural ▁area , ▁located ▁about ▁ ▁north west ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁and ▁ ▁west ▁of ▁Rock ford . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census , ▁Free port ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁( or ▁ 9 9 . 9 2 %) ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁( or ▁ 0 . 0 8 %) ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 2 0 ▁is ▁a ▁four - lane ▁divided ▁highway ▁that ▁sk ir ts ▁the ▁community ' s ▁northern ▁edge . ▁At ▁Rock ford , ▁it ▁links ▁with ▁Inter states ▁ 9 0 ▁and ▁ 3 9 , ▁giving ▁Free port ▁residents ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁Inter state ▁system . ▁I - 9 0 ▁is ▁the