Friday, October 9, 2026

Question: Niles, in southwest Michigan, is known as the “City of Four Flags.” Which four nations’ flags once flew over the fort at its site?

Answer: France, Britain, Spain, and the United States. The city developed near Fort St. Joseph, established by the French in 1691 along the St. Joseph River. The British took control after the French and Indian War, and a Spanish-led force briefly captured the fort in 1781 during the Revolutionary War. The territory became part of the United States under the 1783 Treaty of Paris, earning Niles its “City of Four Flags” nickname.