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History · Freedom

Freedom dates to 1879, and 56% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1980 on.

1879founded
0on the National Register
56%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Freedom began

When was Freedom founded?

1879

Freedom dates its founding to 1879 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1891.

2020 census: 247147 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1891.The full story ↓

What stands out about Freedom’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Freedom are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Freedom’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Freedom’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Freedom’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Freedom came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Freedom.

Read it all →

Freedom was established in 1879, and is the oldest settlement in the Star Valley. Similar to Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah, the community was settled as a border town by Mormon polygamists in order to escape arrest for polygamy: they could be free from Idaho police simply by walking into Wyoming. The community was named for the freedom it gave these early settlers.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Freedom, 1879 to 1980

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1879
    FoundingFreedom is established
  3. 1891Post officeThe Freedom post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1980On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Freedom on the map in 1980

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Freedom.

Freedom on the 1980 USGS map1980Thayne West sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Freedom.

Famous people

Famous people close to Freedom

Nobody well known was born in Freedom itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Rulon GardnerAmerican wrestler · b. 1971
Vern GardnerAmerican basketball player · b. 1925
John Call CookGeophysicist, developer of ground-penetrating r… · b. 1918
L
LaWanna ShurtliffAmerican politician · b. 1935
E
Evan SimpsonAmerican politician · b. 1957
G
George OsmondAmerican missionary · b. 1917

Questions about Freedom’s history

What year was Freedom founded?

In 1879, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Freedom’s post office opened in 1891.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.