Editing Frankenmuth, Michigan (section)

==History==
The area was settled and named by conservative [[Lutheran]] immigrants from [[Roßtal]] area of [[Franconia]] in [[Germany]].<ref name="historyofsaginaw">{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=James |title=History of Saginaw County, Michigan: historical, commercial, biographical, Volume 2 |publisher=Seeman & Peters |year=1918}}</ref> The group of settlers left Germany aboard the ''Caroline'' on April 20, 1845, and arrived at [[Castle Garden]] in [[New York (state)|New York]] seven weeks later. They traveled via canals and the [[Great Lakes]] from New York to [[Detroit]] and arrived in August 1845. Sailing then on the ''Nelson Smith'', the settlers made their way to [[Saginaw]] and traveled over land to what is now the city of Frankenmuth.<ref name="historyofsaginaw"/>

The purpose of the settlement was primarily religious. The Lutheran group planned to start a mission among the [[Native Americans of the United States|Native Americans]]. One of the first large buildings was a church. However, their attempts to convert the local groups failed because most of the Native Americans were forced away within a few years.<ref name="Michael Schmitz">{{cite news|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/frankenmuth-michigans-little-bavaria-4061717|title=Frankenmuth – Michigan's Little Bavaria|date=February 28, 2017|first1=Michael |last1=Schmitz|publisher=ThoughtCo.}}</ref>

The settlers selected a hilly area that reminded them of their native [[Mittelfranken]] and began building rough shelters there. Frankenmuth was to be an exclusively German Lutheran community. The colonists pledged to remain loyal to Germany, specifically the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]] ({{langx|de|Königreich Bayern}}), and to be faithful to the German language.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.frankenmuth.org/about-frankenmuth/history/ | title=History }}</ref> Germans continued arriving until the start of the [[Second World War]].<ref name="Michael Schmitz"/>

The community was originally part of [[Bridgeport Charter Township, Michigan|Bridgeport Township]] and later [[Frankenmuth Township]],<ref name="historyofsaginaw"/><ref name="milegislature1960">{{Cite book |title=Public and local acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan |publisher=Legislative Service Bureau |year=1960 |page=302}}</ref> Frankenmuth became a village in 1904. In 1938, the village hired its first village manager, Herbert L. Keinath. The village was incorporated as a city on October 1, 1959, with Keinath becoming city manager.<ref name=sn>{{cite news|last1=Tower|first1=Mark|title=Frankenmuth offers city manager job to Saginaw Township official|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2016/09/frankenmuth_offers_city_manage.html|access-date=May 15, 2017|newspaper=The Saginaw News |publisher=Mlive Media Group|date=September 8, 2016}}</ref>

The nearby villages of [[Frankenlust Township, Michigan|Frankenlust]], [[Blumfield Township, Michigan|Frankentrost]], and Frankenhilf (now known as [[Denmark Township, Michigan|Richville]]) further illustrate that the area remained a magnet for other Germans emigrating from the same region. The German, and in particular, Franconian culture of the town, has been preserved and passed down through the generations. The German language is still prevalent in signage and speech, and German speakers continue to reside in the town. In addition, the church of St. Lorenz offers monthly services in the German language.<ref name="Michael Schmitz"/>