Located primarily in Berrien County, Niles lies on the banks of the St. Joseph River, 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, has earned Niles the nickname 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[1].
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,204 people, 5,096 households, and 3,052 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,109.5 per square mile (813.8/km²). There were 5,531 housing units at an average density of 956.0/sq mi (368.8/km²). 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.
The only rail line currently serving Niles is Amtrak's Blue Water Service. This line serves the Port Huron-Chicago route. Freight service provided by the Norfolk Southern Railway. However, it was once served by several other lines. The Amtrak line was the Michigan Central Railroad's main line, opened through Niles in 1848 and 1849. The St. Joseph Valley Railroad opened in 1870 as the Michigan Central's South Bend Branch, and the Michigan Air-Line Railroad, leased to the Michigan Central, opened a line heading east from Niles in 1871, known as the Air Line Branch. The final line through Niles was the southeast-northwest Benton Harbor Branch of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (also known as the Big Four), originally opened by the Elkhart, Niles and Lake Michigan Railroad in 1881. All of these lines were part of the New York Central Railroad system. The Air Line Branch was abandoned at Niles in 1937, and the Benton Harbor Branch (Big Four) was removed north of Niles in 1980. The South Bend Branch was removed later that decade.
This company was incorporated by the purchasers of the Cincinnati Wabash and Michigan Railroad Company, certificate of incorporation being filed with the Secretary of the State of Indiana under date of April 16, 1880. The original Cincinnati Wabash and Michigan Railroad Company was incorporated June 30, 1871, and the line opened from Goshen, Indiana, to Anderson, Indiana, May 21, 1876. The reorganized Cincinnati Wabash and Michigan Railway Company consolidated August 11, 1882, with the Elkhart Niles and Lake Michigan Railroad Company, chartered as a revival of the Elkhart and Lake Michigan Railroad Company in Michigan June 19, 1880; this latter consolidation making a complete line from Benton Harbor, Michigan, to Anderson, Indiana. The entire stock of the Cincinnati Wabash and Michigan Railway Company is owned by The Cleveland Cincinnati Chicago and St Louis Railway Company, which has operated the line as a part of its road since November 1, 1890; formal lease to the latter having been executed April 1, 1891, lease effective July 1, 1891, running one hundred years.
The Amtrak station is located along the main line east of the former Benton Harbor Branch crossing and west of the former junctions with the South Bend and Air Line Branches. Amtrak uses the old Michigan Central station; the current structure was built in 1892 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Scenes in films such as Continental Divide, Midnight Run and Only the Lonely were shot here. Baggage cannot be checked at this location; however, up to two suitcases in addition to any "personal items" such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant equipment are allowed on board as carry-ons.