Niles, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Niles is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city has also annexed a small portion of land in Cass County. The population was 12,204 at the 2000 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Niles is located at the site of the French Fort St. Joseph, first established in 1691. After 1761, it was held by the British and was captured on May 25, 1763, by Native Americans during Pontiac's Rebellion. The British retook the fort but it was not regarrisoned and served as a trading post. During the American Revolutionary War, the fort was held for a short time by a Spanish force. The presence of these three European powers in the area, as well as the United States, is how Niles came to be known as The City of Four Flags.
The town was named after Hezekiah Niles (editor of the Niles Register, a Baltimore newspaper.) The newspaper for the town is the Niles Daily Star.
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[edit] Geography
The city is situated on the St. Joseph River and is located mostly within the boundaries of Niles Township.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.3 km² (5.9 mi²). 15.0 km² (5.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.36%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 12,204 people, 5,096 households, and 3,052 families residing in the city. The population density was 813.8/km² (2,109.5/mi²). There were 5,531 housing units at an average density of 368.8/km² (956.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.19% White, 12.36% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.
There were 5,096 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,208, and the median income for a family was $38,870. Males had a median income of $31,395 versus $22,991 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,584. About 9.9% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Points of interest
Downtown Niles is an improving area of small shops, entertainment and services. It is built on a hill to avoid flooding from the St. Joseph River. The Downtown Development Association was awarded a Main Street Initiative development package from the state of Michigan. Seasonal events are held in the park and nearby areas, including the Niles Riverfest, the Bluegrass Festival, the Hunter Ice Festival, and the Apple Festival Parade.
There is a Verterns Memorial on Riverfront Walkway, where many pay respects.
[edit] Transportation
| Preceding station | Amtrak Lines | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, Union Station | The Blue Water | Dowagiac, Michigan | ||
| Hammond, Indiana | The Wolverine (#350, #355) |
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| Michigan City, Indiana | The Wolverine (#352, #353) |
Kalamazoo, Michigan | ||
| Chicago, Union Station | The Wolverine (#354) |
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[edit] Notable people
- Horace Elgin Dodge, automobile industry pioneer
- John Francis Dodge, automobile industry pioneer
- Ring Lardner, Sr., satirist, short story writer and sports columnist
- Tommy James, musician, Tommy James and the Shondells
- Jake Cinninger, musician, Umphrey's McGee
[edit] See also
- Niles bypass
