Нилес қаласы: Төрт тудың қаласы және тарихы

Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U. S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana state line city of South Bend. The population was 11,988 according to the 2020 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cities in the Niles Benton Harbor metropolitan area, an area with 153,797 people.

Niles lies on the banks of the St. Joseph River, at the site of the French Fort St. Joseph, which was built in 1697 to protect the Jesuit Mission 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 re garrisoned and served as a trading post. During the American Revolutionary War, the fort was held for a short time by a Spanish force. The occupation of the fort by the four nations of France, Britain, Spain, and 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 town of Niles as it exists today was settled in 1827. Between 1820 and 1865, Niles was an integral part of the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape from as far south as New Orleans through the Heartland, and eventually into Canada.

The city is situated on the St. Joseph River and is mostly surrounded by Niles Township. Glacial deposits of large boulders and smooth stones mingle with heavy sedimentary deposits, producing rolling hills and steep river banks. The soil is rich and fertile. Crinoid and related fossils are easily found south of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.95 square miles (15 km2), of which 5.79 square miles (15 km2) is land and 0.16 square miles (0 km2) is water.

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,600 people, 4,806 households, and 2,836 families residing in the city. The population density was There were 5,428 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 80.3% White, 12.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population. There were 4,806 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.0% were non families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the city was 36.1 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

The two rail lines currently serving Niles are Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine services. The Blue Water line runs between Chicago and Port Huron, by way of East Lansing and Flint. The Wolverine line runs between Chicago and Pontiac, by way of Jackson, Ann Arbor and Detroit. 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. 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.

Niles is served by Niles Dial A Ride Transportation System (DART). The service has been running since 1974. It is run by Niles City Council and operated under contract by McDonald Transit. The agency is based in the same building as the city's Amtrak station. In addition to Dial a Ride service, it offers fixed route service via Route 2. The route runs through Niles throughout the weekdays. As of January 1, 2011, it also stops at South Bend, Indiana once every two hours. The route connects to South Bend TRANSPO Route 5 at Auten Road/Route 933 intersection.

The Niles Community Schools consist of four elementary buildings: Northside (grades pre K and K), Howard Ellis (grades K 5), Ballard (grades K 5), and Eastside Connections School (grades K 8). The Niles District also has two middle schools: Ring Lardner (grades 6–8) and Eastside Connections School (grades 6–8). Niles High School (grades 9 12) and Niles New Tech Entrepreneurial Academy (grades 9 10) share students. In addition, the school district has Cedar Lane (alternative education), Southside (special education), and Westside (adult education and administration). The Brandywine School District serves Niles Township and portions of Bertrand, and Milton Townships. Its name is derived from the Brandywine Creek which is a tributary to the St. Joseph River. The schools consist of Merritt Elementary (grades pre k 2), Brandywine Elementary (grades 3–6), and Brandywine Middle/High School (grades 7–12). The school district also hosts the Brandywine Innovation Academy, an alternative education center.

The newspaper for the town is the Niles Daily Star. Niles is served by South Bend, Indiana, television and radio.