William "Tutty" Baker (1793-1855), was an American pioneer credited as the founder of

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Linc ...

. Originating from the South, he claimed the land which would become Freeport, then occupied by the Winnebago tribe, in 1827, though he did not immediately build a homestead. He received the nickname "Tutty" from the tribe, which he was on good terms with, on account of his stutter. He built a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

on the banks of the

Pecatonica River The Pecatonica River is a tributary of the Rock River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the United States ...

. A generous man, Baker began operating a free ferry across the river and even invited travelers into his home for meals and lodging. According to one story, Freeport earned its name after Baker's wife, Elizabeth Phoebe Baker, asked him if his river port was a "Free Port", because of the number of people he didn't charge to ferry across the river. A monument to him was erected in Freeport by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Tutty 1793 births 1855 deaths American pioneers People from Freeport, Illinois