Civic leaders in the Town of Lake had been watching Milwaukee nibbling off bits and pieces of the township for years and they were alarmed. They did not dislike their giant neighbor so much as they sought a voice in their own affairs.

A sense of Community led to incorporation for St. Francis in 1951. Working secretly to avoid counter petitioning by Milwaukee for annexation, Fred J. Schoendorf and Henry Rajchel, Town of Lake Treasurer and Clerk respectively, and other interested citizens got enough petitions on incorporation papers to put the issue before the voters. Only July 24th, 1951 a total of 1,069 people voted to incorporate. The City was chartered in Madison the next Day...