The area was settled by Métis families who played a vital role in the fur trade and the early development of the region.

The parish was dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle and became a focal point for religious, social, and cultural activities for the local Métis population.

[10][1] One of the original structures of the colony, the Old St. Paul Rectory, a mission site built as the administrative centre for the Oblate priests remains standing today, and is designated an Alberta Provincial Historical Resource.

[7] The community would construct a 48 km railroad track to connect the village with the Canadian railway network in 1920, which had stopped at Spedden, Alberta.

[15] St. Paul is home to the world's first UFO landing pad, built as part of the 1967 Canadian Centennial celebrations in an effort to attract both tourists and Martians to the community.

[16][17] On June 3, 1967, Paul Hellyer, Minister of National Defence, flew in by helicopter to officially open the Pad.

[20] The UFO landing pad was visited by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during their 1978 tour of Canada, which also included stops at the Vegreville egg and in other communities in Eastern Alberta.