Editing Freedom, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
In 1824, the [[Harmony Society]] returned to Pennsylvania from [[Indiana]]. The society settled in what is now [[Ambridge, Pennsylvania|Ambridge]], five miles (8&nbsp;km) up the [[Ohio River]]. One of the reasons the society left Indiana was because of harassment for their [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] activities. Their settlement was in Beaver County, along the Ohio River. There they founded "Ökonomie", now better known as [[Old Economy Village]]. Here, the Society gained worldwide recognition for its religious devotion and economic prosperity. 

The Harmonites were abolitionists, and began placing signs along the Ohio River with one word, "FREEDOM". {{dubious|date=June 2021}} The area of the present-day borough of Freedom began to be called such on maps of the Ohio River used by the steamboat navigators.

===Establishment===
[[File:Captain William Vicary House.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Captain William Vicary House]], a Freedom landmark]]

The community of Freedom was founded in 1832 by Jonathan Betz and Stephen Phillips, co-owners of a steamboat building business. They purchased about {{convert|100|acre|km2}} of land for $2,000.00 from General Abner Lacock. The original village was surveyed and plotted by Simon Meredith. All of the lots, streets and alleys were located with special preference to the steamboat-building business, the only business at the time. Later, an additional {{convert|39|acre|m2}} were purchased from Captain William Vicary for $2,500.00. Vicary himself retained some property in the area, including a stone house; today, [[Captain William Vicary House|the house]] remains a local landmark, and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>

About 150 people first located in Freedom and it grew rapidly. The town was laid out on a Tuesday and by the following Saturday, fourteen houses had been built. In 1833, Freedom contained 40 dwellings, 47 families, and about 320 people. Boat building and distilling were its two main businesses.

By 1837, Freedom had grown to a population of about 600, and 100 dwellings. New businesses included a foundry, and steam engines manufactured by J. Baker and Company, a large steam sawmill, and an extensive distillery and gristmill owned by J. Stahl and Company. The merchants at that time were: Phillips and McConnell, Stile and Fisher, Phillip Bentel, John Donnan, J. W. Mead, three innkeepers: Samuel Furnier, J. W. Snead, and Thomas G. Kerr and two physicians: Drs. William Smith and T. F. Robinson.

In 1896, the neighboring borough of Saint Clair was absorbed by Freedom. Saint Clair Borough was located in what is currently Freedom's second ward. It was laid out by Captain William Vicary and was often simply called Vicary or Vicary Extension.