The early history of Catholicism in the state of Wisconsin started within the territory that the Diocese of Superior now encompasses, with the arrival of Father René Menard in 1661. Fr. Menard was a Jesuit missionary who came to North America to evangelize the Native American population, and was fluent in the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Huron dialects. After spending the winter of 1660–1661 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, some historical accounts have Fr. Menard venturing in the spring of 1661 to Chequamegon Bay, near Ashland. Although his time there was short, he cleared the path for fellow Jesuits who followed him.