http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown,_Massachusetts
Freetown was first settled on April 2, 1659 on the banks of the Assonet
River <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assonet_River>, when the areas of
Assonet <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assonet,_Massachusetts> and Fall
River<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River,_Massachusetts>were
purchased from the Wampanoag
Indians <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampanoag_people> in an exchange known
as Ye Freemen's
Purchase<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ye_Freemen%27s_Purc...;.
Its population slowly grew, and it existed as a Proprietary settlement until
it was officially incorporated in July 1683. It remained a part of Plymouth
Colony <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony> until that colony
merged with the Massachusetts Bay
Colony<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Bay_Colony>in 1685.
The town was the fifth municipal
corporation <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_corporation> established
in Bristol
County<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_County,_Massachusetts>
.[1] <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown,_Massachusetts#cite_note-AVIS-0>
Throughout the 18th century, the town continued to grow and prosper. In
1747, through the Pocasset
Purchase<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pocasset_Purchase&a...;,
the village of East
Freetown<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Freetown,_Massachusetts>(at
the time called "New Freetown") was acquired from
Tiverton <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiverton,_Rhode_Island>, Rhode
Island<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island>(which was being
transferred from
Massachusetts <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts> to Rhode Island).
The townspeople were also some of America's earliest patriots, fighting in King
Philip's War <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Philip%27s_War> and other
local skirmishes. On May 28, 1775, during the Revolutionary
War<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_War>,
the Battle of Freetown <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Freetown> was
fought in a part of the town that is now part of the city of Fall
River<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River,_Massachusetts>
.[1] <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown,_Massachusetts#cite_note-AVIS-0>
In 1803, Fall River
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River,_Massachusetts>separated from
the town, and incorporated as Troy. In 1815, a portion of the
town was annexed by
Fairhaven<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairhaven,_Massachusetts>,
which at the time controlled
Acushnet<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acushnet,_Massachusetts>,
Massachusetts <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts>. That part of East
Freetown <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Freetown,_Massachusetts> remains
part of Acushnet to this day.
Throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th Centuries, Freetown served as a
very industrious area. Blast furnaces, fishing, textiles, and manufacturing
all came to and left Freetown, eventually allowing the area to regain its
former rural charm. One of the more well-known industries was N. R. Davis &
Sons, a gun manufactory that provided many weapons for the Civil
War<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War>
.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So the answer is yes .
BK