[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 19, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY OF ST. FRANCIS ON ITS 50TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2001

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the 
incorporation of the City of St. Francis, Wisconsin, which I am proud 
to say is in my congressional district.
  The area that is now St. Francis was once home to bands of the 
Menomonee and Potawatomi nations until the lands were ceded to the U.S. 
iin the 1830s. Once a French trading post and part of the Northwest 
Territory, this area was soon settled by farmers, and in 1840, it 
became part of the Town of Lake.
  Despite enormous growth in population in the early 1900's and several 
incorporation attempts, the area remained the Town of Lake for over 100 
years. However, as the City of Milwaukee continued to expand after 
World War II, concerns about being annexed with Milwaukee grew. 
Determined to maintain a separate identify from Wisconsin's largest 
city, a small group of area business people and community leaders began 
to rally support for incorporation. Their efforts paid off, as 
residents approved the plan by nearly a 3 to 1 margin, and in 1951, the 
City of St. Francis was born.
  Incorporation wasn't easy. Banks didn't think the municipality was 
financially viable, and finding the money to provide city services 
proved difficult. But the citizens of St. Francis refused to give up on 
their dream to make their new city a success. Through the adversity 
grew a very special spirit of community activism and pride. Volunteers 
put in countless hours, serving on commissions and committees, working 
on projects and events, helping make St. Francis a wonderful place to 
live and work.
  That same community spirit is still alive and well in the City of St. 
Francis today. Volunteers still sit on municipal committees and plan 
and run events like the 4th of July Celebration and St. Francis Days. 
Community organizations and volunteers have joined together to build a 
community center, a library and a veteran's memorial.
  And so it is quite fitting that civil groups such as the St. Francis 
Historical Society are working hard to make the City of St. Francis' 
50th anniversary a very special celebration for a very special 
community. It is with great pleasure that I wish St. Francis a very 
happy 50th birthday, and extend my best wishes for a long and 
prosperous future for the city and all its residents.

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