Louis Hennepin, a Belgian Franciscan Recollect and explorer, found a waterfall on the upper Mississippi River.

[6] In 1727, René Boucher de La Perrière and Michel Guignas built Fort Beauharnois on the shore of Lake Pepin.

Some French-speaking colonists from Switzerland moved from their original settlements near Fort Garry in Manitoba to a location close to Saint Anthony Falls.

After the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the United States gained control of vast areas in the continent, including present day Minnesota.

Pope Leo XII in 1826 erected the Diocese of Saint Louis, giving it jurisdiction over Minnesota and other parts of the region.

"[7] With the gradual increase of population about the chapel, the community developed into a village known as Saint Paul's Landing.

[8] The pope named Monsignor Joseph Crétin of St. Louis as the first bishop of Saint Paul in Minnesota.

[9]: 43, 44 In addition to the French Canadians large contingents of Irish and German Catholics arrived, who located in St. Paul, and in places along the Mississippi, St. Croix, and Minnesota Rivers.

[12] Pope Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Winona in 1889, taking southern Minnesota from the Archdiocese of Saint Paul.

In this, he differed from Michael Corrigan, Archbishop of New York, who believed that the more quickly Catholics gave up their native languages, customs, and traditions in order to assimilate into a Protestant culture, the sooner they would forsake their religion as well.

Ireland's insistence on Americanization led to the unfortunate circumstance of Ruthenian Catholic priest Alexis Toth and his congregation becoming Russian Orthodox.

In his address at his installation on March 25, 1919, Dowling described himself as "the unknown, the unexpected, [and] the undistinguished successor of the great Archbishop Ireland.

"[9] Downling's legacy included establishing Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary and the Archbishop Ireland's Education Fund.

[15] On June 16, 1956, Pope Pius XII appointed Bishop Brady Coadjutor Archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota due to Murray's failing health.

[16] On November 18, 1957, Pope Pius XII founded the Diocese of New Ulm, taking its territory from the Archdiocese of Saint Paul.

On December 16, 1961 Pope John XXIII named Binz the seventh bishop and fifth archbishop of Saint Paul.

[20] When the pope accepted Flynn's retirement on May 2, 2008, Nienstedt automatically succeeded him as the eighth archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

[22] In November 2012, priest Curtis Wehmeyer pled guilty to 20 sex abuse and child pornography charges.

[23] In 2013, MPR News obtained a letter revealing that an archdiocesan officials, including Archbishop Nienstedt and vicar general Reverend Kevin McDonough - brother of Obama White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough - had known of the archdiocesan decision in 2011 to cover up an allegation suggesting that Wehmeyer had sexually abused two brothers in his camper.

[24] When the reported abuse took place, the camper was parked outside Blessed Sacrament Church in St. Paul, where Wehmeyer served for six years and where the mother of the boys was employed.

[26] On June 15, 2015, Pope Francis accepted the resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piché to help clear the air in the Archdiocese surrounding the abuse cases and bankruptcy.

[27][28] During Hebda's term as administrator, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis reached agreement on a civil settlement with officials of Ramsey County on procedures to prevent child sexual abuse.

[29] In May 2018, the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis agreed to pay victims of clergy sexual abuse a total of $210 million in settlement, which awaited court approval.