Station: Niles, MI

Niles was founded by a French Jesuit in 1690 who was given the land by the French government. A military post was built here in 1697 and the town became known as Fort St. Joseph. The fort fell to the British in 1761, to the Indians in 1763, then to the Spanish in 1780 and to the Indians in 1781 at which point it was abandoned.

A permanent settlement was begun in 1828 by people from Ohio. It was first called Pogwatigue ("running water") and was changed to Niles in 1829, named after the town newspaper editor. The town was incorporated as a village in 1835 and city in 1859. Niles is the only city in Michigan to have been governed under four flags: French, English, Spanish and the United States. [MPN]

The railroad first came to Niles when the Michigan Central built here in 1848 on its route to Chicago. The line was extended west of town in 1849. The Michigan Air Line, later a MC branch was built east towards Three Rivers in 1871 and they constructed a short branch line south to South Bend in 1872, including a siding at Notre Dame University. The third line, the Big Four, built north through town from Elkhart to Benton Harbor in 1882. [MRL]

Image info: Top, an early 1900's image of the Niles Station. Note the main line was double-tracked by this time and there was a westbound passing siding which began here. The Niles terminal yard began here on the south side of the main line. 2nd image, another view of the former Michigan Central train station at Niles, now used for passenger service by Amtrak. 2003. [Alan Loftis]; 3rd photo, the same depot in 1974. [Charles Geletzke Jr.]. 4th Image, the overpass for Fifth Street over the MC, near the depot. 5th photo, the interurban depot at Niles.

Notes

Time Line

1848. Michigan Central arrives from Kalamazoo on July 2. The citizens turned out en masse to welcome them and celebrate the completion of the MCRR to this point. [NWM-1882-0705]

1849. The MC extends its main line west to New Buffalo.

1869. The increased travel on the MC has necessitated the enlargement of the Passenger House, an addition ten feet wide and running nearly the entire length of the building on the south side has been completed. And it is the intention to further enlarge the building in the spring by an addition on the north side and by adding another story to its height. Nearly all of the principal trains stop here for meals, and Mr. Sheldon frequently finds himself sorely pressed for room to accommodate his traveling guests. [NREP-1869-1014]

1871. The Michigan Air Line builds east towards Cassopolis and Three Rivers, and then south to South Bend in 1872. The Air Line was often used for eastbound freight trains to Jackson, creating a double main line along with the main line via Kalamazoo. After 1900, the MC main line was double-tracked which reduced this routing.

1880. A fearfully shocking accident occurred on the MC near Niles last night. A young man by the name of Fred Kingsley, a brakeman, whose parents reside in Spring Arbor, while passing under the Corell bridge, struck his head and was knocked off of the top of a refrigerator car, and fell between the cars, and was run over by some ten or fifteen of them, cutting and mangling his body in a horrid and frightful manner. His heard was torn out and lay by the side of his crushed body and he was completely disemboweled. The fragments were gathered up and placed in a box and forwarded to his friends. This was only his third trip on the road. [NDEM-1880-0103]

1880. Since the brakeman was killed between Buchanan and Niles on the MC, they are raising their low bridges so that a man standing erect on the highest freight car will not be in danger of getting his head bumped. The same is being one on the line of the Detroit, Saginaw & Bay City road. [SJH-1880-0214]

1880. December. The Elkhart, Niles & Lake Michigan railroad, the proposed Michigan extension of the Cincinnati, Wabash and Michigan railroad, yesterday received formal notice from the MC that they would oppose the crossing of their road by the proposed new one, based on a section of the MC charger granted about 35 years ago, prohibiting any road entering the State from the east or south approaching the Central nearer than five miles. [NREP-1880-1209]

1880. December. A probable railroad war is brewing. The President of the EN&SM said thee is no need of crossing the MC, there is an excellent place to go under the South Bend road and they can certainly run under the bridge, but about coming within five miles, they'll try it. [NWM-1880-1215]

1881. The MC depot has a new floor laid in it, and a new stove has been put in the ladies room. [NREP-1881-1110]

1882. The Big Four builds their line north from Elkhart to Benton Harbor, via Niles.

1882. September. The pay car of the CW&M road stood at the foot of Sycamore street until a late hour Saturday evening paying off the men, and many a one was made glad. The pay car of the MC was doing the same thing at their depot and several thousand dollars were left here. [NWM-1882-0920]

1883. The dam on the St. Joseph river at Niles gives way and five mills are stopped. [AAN-1884-0109]

1905. Miss Rebecca S. Bracken dies. She was telegraph operator at Niles for 40 years (from 1865). [RG-1905-0804:37]

1912. August 23. Traffic on the Michigan Central in the vicinity of Niles, Mich., was seriously disturbed on account of a storm on Sunday, August 18, which washed out tracks and yards, and necessitated the detouring of traffic over the Lake Shore. [RG]

1913. MC pay checks arrived today and some $20,000 was distributed in Niles among employees. [NDS-1913-0311]

1917, The MC had an agent-operator at the depot here around-the-clock. The Big Four also had an agent and a telegrapher here on the day shift on their Michigan Division north to Benton Harbor.[TRT]

1919. The Michigan Central dramatically expanded the terminal at Niles and it became a major MC classification yard on the west end of the MC main line. The MC also split freight operations here, sending eastbound freight train traffic on the Air Line to Jackson, receiving westbound freight from Jackson on the main line via Kalamazoo. This relieved congestion on the MC mainline, particularly through busy Kalamazoo.

1920. Niles has both a passenger ticket agent and a freight agent. Interline tickets are also in stock. The passenger agent is J. C. Charter. The freight agent is W. S. Barron. The telegraph call for this station is "VN". [MCOAS]

1920. On the Michigan Central South Bend Branch, this is a passenger and freight agency with the same agents as above. The telegraph call sign is "VN". [MCOAS]

1933. A five mile section of the old Air Line branch, from Niles east to a new cutoff from Niles Yard, was abandoned.

1943. The Air Line is abandoned east from Niles to the outskirts of Three Rivers.

1960's. The Niles Terminal was downgraded following construction of the New York Central Robert Young Yard in Elkhart. In a period of only 41 years, this terminal went from boom to bust as a railroad center because of this change.

1980, The north section of the Big Four branch, now under Conrail ownership, was pulled up from Niles north to Benton Harbor.

1980's. The South Bend branch was also removed in the 1980's.

Industry

• Garden City Fan Company