. Excluding Spanish settlements far away in the Southwestern United States, Dubuque is the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi River. Julien Dubuque was one of the first Europeans to settle in the Dubuque area. He mined lead at what would become called the Mines of Spain, which is about three miles south of the current City of Dubuque. The area would soon become the location of the first European settlement in what would become the state of Iowa. It would also become the headquarters of a Archdiocese of DubuqueRoman Catholic diocese named after the city in 1837. Since that time, the Roman Catholic Church has been a major force in the history of the city. A large number of German AmericanGerman and Irish AmericanIrish immigrants helped contribute to the culture of Dubuque. Recently, the face of the city has changed as redevelopment efforts are made. Many Catholic religious orders maintain monasterymonasteries and convents in Dubuque and the surrounding countryside. These include New Melleray Abbey (Cistercian), Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey (Cistercian), Sinsinawa Mound Motherhouse (Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters), Mount St. Francis Motherhouse (Franciscans), Mount Carmel Motherhouse (Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Mount Loretto Motherhouse (Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and Divine Word CollegeDivine Word Seminary (Society of the Divine Word). Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubuque%2C_Iowa