Freeman is named after Joshua Freeman Sr., who settled here in 1818. The Freeman homestead was situated at the northeast intersection of Brant Street and Plains Road. Joshua and Elizabeth Freeman had 14 children. There descendents continued farming this land well into the 1900s. Not surprisingly the community took on the name Freeman’s Corners and later the Village of Freeman. Freeman became well known for its market gardens that were operated by a number of pioneer families, most of whom hailed from England. These farmers took advantage of the rich and fertile soil in the area and produced an abundance of fruit and produce. It was perfect symmetry that a Great Western Railway station opened in Freeman in 1850. The station was called Burlington Junction but was known locally as Freeman Station. The arrival of the railway allowed Freeman’s produce to be shipped across Canada. The railway also spurred on more industry in Freeman including: a pickle factory, a brickyard, a chemical factory, a canning factory and a basket factory. The Freeman post office opened in the Freeman general store in the mid 1800s. The Freeman postmark continued to be used until 1952 when the name changed to Burlington. By this time development was encroaching on Freeman’s doorstep and by the 1960’s the old village of Freeman had mostly been relegated to the pages of history. I say mostly because one very important landmark survived and that is the Freeman Station. It now stands at 1285 Fairview Street as a proud reminder of this neighbourhoods past and a symbol of renewal for today’s Freeman neighbourhood.