Niles, Ohio

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Niles is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,932 at the 2000 census.

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[edit] Geography

Location of Niles, Ohio.
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Location of Niles, Ohio.

Niles is located at 41°11′7″N, 80°45′26″W (41.185324, -80.757223)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.2 km² (8.6 mi²). 22.1 km² (8.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.23%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 20,932 people, 8,859 households, and 5,519 families residing in the city. The population density was 945.3/km² (2,447.5/mi²). There were 9,516 housing units at an average density of 429.7/km² (1,112.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.98% White, 2.27% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 8,859 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 population was spread out with 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 $35,615, and the median income for a family was $42,704. Males had a median income of $35,936 versus $23,888 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,441. 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.

Niles is also widely noted for several prominent ethnic groups, especially its Italian-American community. The center of Italian ethnic traditions and culture in Niles is Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. The church's festival celebrating the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel each July is one of the more noteworthy Italian festivals in Ohio and the surrounding region.

[edit] History

Niles was founded in 1806 by James Heaton, who owned one of the first iron-ore processing plants in the state. The town originally went by the name 'Heaton's Furnace', but was rather quickly renamed Nilestown, after Hezekiah Niles (editor of the Niles Register, a Baltimore newspaper.) In 1843, the name was shortened to simply 'Niles'.

William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was born in Niles on January 29, 1843. The McKinley Memorial was built in downtown Niles to remember William McKinley in 1915, and houses the town's library as well as a small museum.

The poet Kenneth Patchen was born in Niles on December 13, 1911.

The Ku Klux Klan was focused on Niles because of the Catholic population in the area. They had one march through town in May 1924, and then attempted another June 21 of that same year. This march was met with great resistance, and had to be canceled due to violence.The March was rescheduled for November 1 of that year, with an approved permit from the Mayor. The Anti-Klan group, the Knights of the Flaming Circle promised their own parade of 10,000. On October 29, the Mayor's house was bombed, due to his refusal to revoke the permit. Tensions grew even tighter, and Niles gained national attention due to the impending marches. 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. Between both the Klan and Anti- Klan participants, 104 people were indicted.

On May 31, 1985, the Niles was struck by an F5 tornado that had its origins just West of Newton Falls, where it destroyed much of that town. It then moved through Lordstown and Warren, before wreaking havoc on Niles, where it toppled a skating rink and shopping mall, leveled dozens of houses, ripped through the Union Cemetery, injured many people, and took several lives. The tornado continued on, never leaving the ground until it reached Pennsylvania. In just the Niles area alone, 9 were killed, and 250 were injured. Nearly 70 homes were leveled and another 65 to 70 severely damaged. In the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys a total of 25 died and 500 people were injured, and there was $140 million in property damage. Coincidentally, the tornado of 1985 took a similar path through Niles as another tornado that hit in 1947[1].

[edit] Sport

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

[edit] External links


Municipalities and Communities of Trumbull County, Ohio
(County Seat: Warren)
Cities Cortland | Girard | Hubbard | Newton Falls | Niles | Warren
Villages Lordstown | McDonald | Orangeville | West Farmington | Yankee Lake
Townships Bazetta | Bloomfield | Braceville | Bristol | Brookfield | Champion | Farmington | Fowler | Greene | Gustavus | Hartford | Howland | Hubbard | Johnston | Kinsman | Liberty | Mecca | Mesopotamia | Newton | Southington | Vernon | Vienna | Warren | Weathersfield
Communities and CDPs Bolindale | Brookfield Center | Champion Heights | Churchill | Hilltop | Leavittsburg | Maplewood Park | Masury | Mineral Ridge | South Canal | Vienna Center | West Hill
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