Roman Catholic priests established the first missions in Michigan. These missions were built to convert the Indians to Christianity. The first mission was built in 1660 by Father René Ménard at Keweenaw Bay in the Upper Peninsula. Many early missionaries knew how to make maps. Their notes were used to help chart the Great Lakes.
Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit priest, built a church called Sault Sainte Marie that became Michigan's first permanent European settlement.
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac is known as the founder of Detroit. He commanded a group of Frenchmen and built Fort Pontchartrain on the present-day site of Michigan's largest city.
