The first European to explore the northern Mississippi River and the upper Midwest of what would become the United States was Father Jacques Marquette. He and Louis Jolliet set out to explore the new world and tell them the good news of Christ. On May 18, 1675, at only 37 years old, Jacques Marquette died. There are now numerous parks, a university, a river, a beach, an island, and even several countries named in memory of his work.
