▁pret z els ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s . ▁Free port ▁High ▁School ' s ▁mas cot ▁is ▁the ▁P ret zel ▁to ▁honor ▁this ▁unique ▁her itage . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁community ▁was ▁originally ▁called ▁W inn esh iek . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁incorpor ated , ▁the ▁new ▁municipality ▁took ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁gener os ity ▁of ▁T ut ty ▁Baker , ▁who ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁running ▁a ▁" free ▁port " ▁on ▁the ▁P ec aton ica ▁River . ▁The ▁name ▁" W inn esh iek " ▁was ▁later ▁adopted , ▁and ▁is ▁preserved ▁to ▁this ▁day , ▁by ▁the ▁Free port ▁Community ▁Theatre ▁Group . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁Steph enson ▁County ▁was ▁formed ▁and ▁Free port ▁became ▁its ▁seat ▁of ▁government ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁Linked ▁by ▁a ▁stage co ach ▁with ▁Chicago , ▁the ▁community ▁grew ▁rapidly . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁a ▁frame ▁cour th ouse ▁was ▁ere cted ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁school ▁was ▁founded . ▁Within ▁two ▁years , ▁Free port ▁had ▁two ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁the ▁two ▁were ▁joined ▁by ▁a ▁third ▁which ▁published ▁in ▁German . ▁By ▁then , ▁the ▁community ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁the ▁second ▁debate ▁between ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁and ▁Stephen ▁A . ▁Douglas ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Free port ▁and