Editing Niles, Ohio

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Niles, Ohio
|settlement_type          = [[City (Ohio)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = "An Ohio City with a Proud Past and a Vision for the Future"

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = McKinley Memorial - Niles.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = [[National McKinley Birthplace Memorial]]
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = Niles Ohio Seal.png

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Trumbull County Ohio incorporated and unincorporated areas Niles highlighted.png
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Niles in Trumbull County, Ohio
|pushpin_map              = Ohio#USA
|pushpin_relief           = yes
|pushpin_label            = Niles

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_name1        = [[Ohio]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Ohio|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Trumbull County, Ohio|Trumbull]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Established
|established_date         = 1806
|named_for                = [[Hezekiah Niles]]

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 22.28
|area_land_km2            = 22.24
|area_water_km2           = 0.04
|area_total_sq_mi         = 8.60
|area_land_sq_mi          = 8.59
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 18443
|population_density_km2   = 829.27
|population_density_sq_mi = 2147.78

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset              = −5
|timezone_DST            = EDT
|utc_offset_DST          = −4
|elevation_footnotes     = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft            = 899
|coordinates             = {{coord|41|11|20|N|80|44|50|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type        = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code             = 44446
|area_code               = [[Area codes 234 and 330|330, 234]]
|area_code_type          = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name              = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info              = 39-55916<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name             = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info             = 2395235<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395235}}</ref>
|website                 = {{URL|https://thecityofniles.com/}}
|footnotes               = 
}}

'''Niles''' is a city in [[Trumbull County, Ohio]], United States. The population was 18,443 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="wwwcensusgov"/><ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US3955916 |title=Niles city, Ohio | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=August 22, 2022 }}</ref> Located at the confluence of the [[Mahoning River]] and [[Mosquito Creek Lake|Mosquito Creek]], Niles is a suburb in the [[Mahoning Valley|Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area]].

Niles is best known as the birthplace of [[William McKinley]], the 25th [[president of the United States]]. Located in the nation's former [[Rust Belt|industrial belt]], the city's economy focused initially on iron manufacturing but later diversified to include steel and glass production.<ref name="niles"/> After the decline of heavy industry in the region in the 1970s, Niles became a retail hub for the northern Mahoning Valley with development centered around the [[Eastwood Mall]] complex and along the [[U.S. Route 422]] corridor.<ref name="niles">{{cite web | url = http://www.thecityofniles.com/ | title = City of Niles Homepage | publisher = The City of Niles | access-date = September 27, 2007}}</ref> The [[Mahoning Valley Scrappers]] baseball team plays at [[Eastwood Field]] in Niles.

==History==
[[File:Niles Masonic Temple.jpg|thumb|[[Niles Masonic Temple]]]]

Niles was founded in 1806 by James Heaton, who owned one of the first iron-ore processing plants in Ohio. The town originally went by the name of '''Heaton's Furnace''' but was later renamed '''Nilestown''' after [[Hezekiah Niles]], editor of the influential ''[[Weekly Register]]'' news magazine.<ref name="hezekiah">{{cite book | editor-link=Hezekiah Niles | editor-last=Niles | editor-first=Hezekiah | title=Niles' Weekly Register | date=March–September 1823 | publisher=William Ogden Niles | location=[[Baltimore]] | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JPQaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA|volume=24}}</ref> The name was shortened to Niles in 1843. In the early 19th century, Heaton built a [[forge]] and, later, a charcoal [[blast furnace]] in the area just east of what is now the city's central park, on the west side of Mosquito Creek. Heaton is credited with producing the first bar iron in Ohio.<ref name="niles"/>

Niles' iron industry thrived until the late 19th century when the [[economic depression]] of 1873 brought about the closure of the community's largest industrial firm, James Ward and Company. Plans to restore the local iron industry floundered because of the exorbitant cost of modernizing outdated mills. By the early 1900s, however, Niles was the site of companies including Ohio Galvanizing, Sykes Metal, the Niles Glass Works of the [[General Electric]] Company, and the Niles Iron and Steel Roofing Company. Between 1900 and 1920, the city's population swelled from 7,500 to over 13,000. The [[Great Flood of 1913]] precipitated massive flooding of the [[Mahoning River]], leaving extensive damage exceeding $3 million and 428 casualties in Niles.<ref name="niles"/>

Throughout much of the late 19th and 20th century, Niles was known to most Ohioans as the birthplace of [[William McKinley]], the 25th [[president of the United States]]. McKinley was born in Niles on January 29, 1843, and attended [[Niles McKinley High School|Niles High School]] before graduating from [[Poland Seminary]].<ref>[http://thecityofniles.com/schoolhistory.htm History of Niles Schools] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716225437/http://thecityofniles.com/schoolhistory.htm |date=July 16, 2011 }} at Niles' official website; based on information from: The Niles Centennial History Club and McKinley High School. ''History of Niles, Ohio''. ''The Niles Daily Times'', 1984.</ref> President McKinley's assassination in 1901 shocked the nation and particularly saddened residents of northeastern Ohio. In 1915, [[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]] industrialist [[Joseph G. Butler, Jr.]], a childhood friend of McKinley, campaigned for the construction of the [[National McKinley Birthplace Memorial]] in downtown Niles.<ref name="vindy-yo-12-20-27">{{cite news  | title = City's First Citizen Sleeps Peacefully Away  | work = The Youngstown Daily Vindicator  | date = December 20, 1927}}</ref> The facility currently houses the community's library as well as a small museum.

Niles' location in the [[Mahoning Valley]], a center of [[steel mill|steel]] production, ensured that the community would become a destination for immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe in the early 20th century; dramatic demographic change fueled ethnic and religious tension. In the 1920s, regional chapters of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] targeted Niles because of its large [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] population. The Klan marched through the center of Niles in May 1924 and attempted another march in June of the same year. When violence forced the Klan to cancel the second march, the event was rescheduled for November 1, 1924. The city mayor's ultimate decision to issue the Klan a permit for the march outraged many of the community's Italian- and [[Irish-American]] residents.<ref name="niles"/>

In response to the scheduled Klan march, an anti-Klan organization, the [[Knights of the Flaming Circle]], pledged to hold their own parade of 10,000 participants on the same day. On October 29, the mayor's house was bombed, due to his refusal to revoke the permit. Tensions escalated from this point on, and the city gained national attention due to the impending marches.<ref name="nyt-11-01-24">{{cite news  | title = Ohio City In Terror, Fearing Klan March  | work = The New York Times  | page = 17  | date = November 1, 1924}}</ref> Despite the city's pleas for assistance from the militia, they were denied. The result was 18 hours of full-blown rioting. Control was brought to the town, requiring 10 days of [[martial law]].<ref name="Jenkins137">{{cite book  | last = Jenkins  | first = William D.  | title = Steel Valley Klan: The Ku Klux Klan in Ohio's Mahoning Valley  | year = 1990  | publisher = Kent State University Press  | location = Kent, Ohio  | isbn = 0-87338-415-6  | pages = 137}}</ref> Between the Klan and anti-Klan participants, 104 people were indicted.

Niles' economy was undermined in the 1970s when the Mahoning Valley's steel industry &ndash; already in decline &ndash; collapsed.

On May 31, 1985, [[1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak#Niles, Ohio/Wheatland, Pennsylvani|Niles was struck by an F5 tornado]] that had its origins just west of [[Newton Falls, Ohio|Newton Falls]], where it destroyed much of that town. The tornado then moved through [[Lordstown, Ohio|Lordstown]] and [[Warren, Ohio|Warren]], before wreaking havoc on Niles, where it flattened a roller skating rink and [[shopping mall]]. The tornado also leveled dozens of houses, ripped through the city's historic Union Cemetery, injured many people, and took several lives. In the Niles area, nine people were killed and 250 were injured. Nearly 70 homes were leveled and another 65 to 70 were severely damaged.<ref name="niles"/> The tornado of 1985 took a path through Niles that was almost identical to that of a tornado that struck in 1947.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.may311985tornadoes.com |title = May 31, 1985 Memorial|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090819234355/http://www.may311985tornadoes.com/|archive-date = August 19, 2009}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|8.63|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|8.61|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 6, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 25, 2012}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 3879
|1890= 4280
|1900= 7468
|1910= 8361
|1920= 13080
|1930= 16314
|1940= 16273
|1950= 16773
|1960= 19545
|1970= 21581
|1980= 23072
|1990= 21128
|2000= 20932
|2010= 19266
|2020= 18443
|estyear=2021
|estimate=18367
|estref=
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR2" /><ref name="Census1960">{{cite web|title=Number of Inhabitants: Ohio|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/37749282v1p37_ch02.pdf|date=1960|work=18th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Census1990">{{cite web|title=Ohio: Population and Housing Unit Counts|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-37.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nilescityohio,US/PST045221|title=Niles city, Ohio|website=census.gov|accessdate=July 6, 2022}}</ref>
}}
Niles hosts a large [[Italian-American]] community.  The local center of Italian-American culture and tradition is Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. The church hosts an annual celebration of the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel during July.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref> of 2010, there were 19,266 people, 8,499 households, and 4,971 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|2237.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,417 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1093.7|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.5% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.2% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 8,499 households, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 42 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 20,932 people, 8,859 households, and 5,519 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,447.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 12,512 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,112.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 95.98% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.27% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.19% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.33% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.22% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.00% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 5,012 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $65,615, and the median income for a family was $76,704.  Males had a median income of $35,936 versus $23,888 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $19,410. About 6.5% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Niles constitutes a mixed-use [[suburb]] and is one of the main [[retail]] hubs of the [[Mahoning Valley]] area. Most of the city's commercial and retail development centers around [[U.S. Route 422]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecityofniles.com/services/housing-zoning/ |title=Housing & Zoning |publisher=City of Niles |access-date=March 7, 2024}}</ref>

The [[Eastwood Mall]] opened in 1969 and contains over 100 stores and restaurants across {{cvt|1,600,000|sqft}} of space. The mall is part of the greater Eastwood Mall Complex, which includes a variety of outdoor strip plazas located at the intersection of U.S. Route 422 and [[Ohio State Route 46]]. Developed by the Youngstown-based [[Cafaro Company]], the company relocated its headquarters to Niles in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cafarocompany.com/about/ |title=About Cafaro| website= cafarocompany.com |publisher= Cafaro Company |accessdate=March 7, 2024 }}</ref>

Historically, the [[Niles Car and Manufacturing Company]] built [[streetcar]] and [[interurban]] cars in the city for national use.<ref name="hilton">{{Hilton-Interurban}}</ref> It was founded in 1901 and specialized in building wooden-bodied cars in the heyday of interurban building.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ironhorse129.com/rollingstock/builders/niles.htm|title=Niles Car & Manufacturing Company|accessdate=September 30, 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211200053/http://www.ironhorse129.com/rollingstock/builders/niles.htm|archivedate=February 11, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=American Street Railway Investments: Fifteenth Annual Volume: 1908|publisher=McGraw Publishing Company|year=1908|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j47IQgaWJM4C|accessdate=September 30, 2007|page=XXI|archive-date=December 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222081812/https://books.google.com/books?id=j47IQgaWJM4C|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
The [[National McKinley Birthplace Memorial]] Library and Museum in downtown Niles was established in 1915 to remember President [[William McKinley]]. The Ward-Thomas Museum is the current home of the Niles Historical Society.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nileshistoricalsociety.org/ |title=Niles Historical Society |access-date=August 31, 2019}}</ref>

==Sports==
[[File:Eastwood Field.jpg|thumb|[[Eastwood Field]], home of the [[Mahoning Valley Scrappers]]]]

The [[Mahoning Valley Scrappers]], a short-season Class A [[minor league baseball]] team, moved from [[Erie, Pennsylvania]], to Niles in 1999. The team plays at [[Eastwood Field]], located behind the [[Eastwood Mall (Niles)|Eastwood Mall]] on [[U.S. Highway 422]].

[[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]]-based boxer [[Kelly Pavlik]] fought a nationally broadcast fight in Niles on July 1, 2003, against Rico Cason. The fight was broadcast over [[ESPN]]'s "Tuesday Night Fights", and Pavlik won the fight by knockout in the second round.

Between 1980 and 1982, [[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]]-born boxer [[Harry Arroyo]] fought four of his professional fights in Niles, Ohio, and won all four of them, bringing his professional record at the time to 16–0. Eventually, Arroyo would win the IBF World Lightweight Title.

==Education==
Children in Niles are served by the Niles City School District, which includes one primary school, one intermediate school, one middle school and [[Niles McKinley High School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nilescityschools.org/Default.aspx |title=Niles City Schools | publisher=Niles City School District |accessdate=September 18, 2022 }}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Joseph Bangust]], World War II naval hero and [[Navy Cross]] recipient
* [[Cynthia S. Burnett]], educator, temperance reformer, newspaper editor
* [[George Burns (first baseman)|George Burns]], professional baseball player and 1926 [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|American League MVP]]
* [[Jim Capuzzi]], professional football defensive back and quarterback for the [[Green Bay Packers]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CapuJi20.htm|title=James Capuzzi
|publisher= Pro-Football-Reference.Com|access-date= October 30, 2012}}</ref>
* [[John Hlay]], collegiate football player for [[Ohio State University]]
* [[Sonny Horne]], professional boxer<ref name="vindy-09-28-59">{{cite news  | first = Floyd  | last = Passinger  | title = Death Sunday Ends Sonny Horne's Seven-Year Battle with Sclerosis  | work = The Youngstown Vindicator  | page = 15  | date = September 28, 1959}}</ref>
* [[William McKinley]], 25th president of the United States
* [[A. F. Moritz]], poet
* [[Kenneth Patchen]], poet and noted figure of the [[Beat Generation|Beat era]]<ref name="patchen">{{cite web | url = http://www.connectotel.com/patchen/ | title = Kenneth Patchen Homepage | publisher = Connectotel.com | access-date = November 8, 2007}}</ref>
* [[Gertrude L. Pew]], miniature painter
* [[Phil Ragazzo]], professional football player
* [[Bo Rein]], Ohio State University football and baseball player
* [[Tim Ryan (Ohio politician)|Tim Ryan]], U.S. representative for Ohio from 2003 to 2023
* [[Dominic Sena]], film and music video director
* [[David Sherman]], novelist
* [[Harry M. Stevens]], ballpark concessionaire and purported inventor of the [[hot dog]]<ref name="stevens">{{cite web | url = https://www.travellens.co/best-things-to-do-in-niles-oh/ |title=20 Best Things to Do in Niles, OH: Play Tennis at Stevens Park |website=travellens.co |first=Blake |last=Walsh |date=March 6, 2023 |accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.thecityofniles.com/ City website]

{{Trumbull County, Ohio}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Niles, Ohio| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Ohio]]
[[Category:Cities in Trumbull County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1806]]
[[Category:Italian-American culture in Ohio]]
[[Category:1806 establishments in Ohio]]