▁love ▁of ▁pret zel ▁sn acks . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁a ▁German ▁imm igr ant ▁named ▁John ▁B iller beck ▁established ▁the ▁B iller beck ▁Bak ery , ▁which ▁distributed ▁so ▁many ▁pret z els ▁to ▁residents ▁that ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper ▁later ▁dub bed ▁Free port ▁the ▁" P ret zel ▁City ". ▁The ▁city ▁later ▁capital ized ▁on ▁this ▁nick name ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁by ▁starting ▁Free port ' s ▁first ▁P ret zel ▁Festival . ▁ ▁Free port ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁oldest ▁Car neg ie ▁Library ▁in ▁Illinois ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Car neg ie ▁L ibr aries ▁designed ▁by ▁the ▁Chicago ▁architect ural ▁firm ▁of ▁Pat ton ▁and ▁Miller . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁renov ated ▁into ▁Free port ' s ▁City ▁Hall ▁ ▁and ▁City ▁offices ▁were ▁moved ▁to ▁Car neg ie ▁City ▁Hall ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁City ▁of ▁Free port ▁transition ed ▁to ▁the ▁City ▁Manager ▁Form ▁of ▁Government ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁The ▁first ▁City ▁Manager ▁is ▁Low ell ▁Crow . ▁ ▁Before ▁February ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁a ▁large ▁square ▁of ▁land ▁was ▁purchased ▁from ▁the ▁former ▁K eller - W itt be cker ▁farm ▁in ▁East ▁Free port . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁this ▁land ▁had ▁recently ▁been ▁sub div ided ▁and ▁pl atted ▁as ▁the ▁" Ar cade ▁Add ition ". ▁The ▁Ar cade ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁operation ▁since ▁