Niles. 1 Village (1990 pop. 28,284), Cook co., NE Ill., a residential suburb adjacent to Chicago, on the Chicago River; settled 1832, inc. 1899. The village has a replica (half size) of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
2 City (1990 pop. 12,458), Berrien co., SW Mich., on the St. Joseph River; inc. 1829. Manufactures include paper and metal products, transportation equipment, and machinery. It was the site of a Jesuit Mission (1690) and of Fort St. Joseph, built by the French (1697). The fort fell to the British (1761), to the Native Americans (Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763), and to the Spanish and Native Americans (1780, 1781). Permanent settlement began in 1827, and as a station on the stagecoach route between Detroit and Chicago, Niles grew as a commercial and industrial center. A botanic garden is in the city, and Ring Lardner was born there.
3 City (1990 pop. 21,128), Trumbull co., NE Ohio, on the Mahoning River; settled 1806, inc. as a city 1895. It produces steel, building materials, and lathes. There is a memorial to President William McKinley, who was born in Niles.
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