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Freeman is situated near the middle of the eastern
side of Franklin County, 15 miles north-west of Farmington. It is bounded on the north by Kingfield and Salem,
east by New Portland, south by Strong and New Vineyard, and west by Phillips and Salem. Its area is 17,000 acres.
The surface is much broken by hills, but the soil is fertile, though hard to cultivate. Freeman Ridge, occupying
a large portion of the northern part of the town, is said to be the best for tillage. The middle and southern part
of the town is drained by a branch of Sandy River, and across the northern part flows Curvo Stream, the southern
branch of Seven Mile Brook. Freeman and West Freeman are the post-offices. There are saw-mills at Freeman, West
and North Freeman.
Freeman is the westerly of two townships granted by the State of Massachusetts to the sufferers of Falmouth (now
Portland) in the burning of the town by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was surveyed and settled under
the agency of Reuben Hill about 1797. William Brackly, David looper, Alexander Fasset, Samuel Wey. mouth, and Messrs.
Burbank, Morton and Boston were among the first settlers. The township was No. 3, in 2d Range, and when first settled
took the name of Little River Plantation. It was incorporated in 1803, taking its name from Samuel Freeman, of
Portland, who was one of the principal owners at the time of settlement.
The Methodists have a church at Freeman Village, and the Free Baptists at West Freeman. There are ten public schoolhouses
in the town, and the school property is valued at $2,400. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $146,090. In 1880
it was $140,269. The population in 1870 was 608. In 1880 it was 549.
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