Today there are 10 registered historical markers within the city limits of Niles. Perhaps someday there will be more as history is uncovered.
Even before the French explorer LaSalle came through this area on his search for the Mississippi River. Native Americans used the Miami River, now the Saint Joseph River,
as the "I-80" of that time.
After LaSalle the Jesuits founded a mission on the east bank of the river just south of the Silverbrook. In 1691 the French established a small fort quite close to the site of the mission. The fort was part of the long sting of forts used for the lucritive fur and brandy trade in the Old Northwest Territory.
The fort had a small garrison and one of the commandants Chevalier or members of his family were commandants at the outpost for more than forty years. One of his sons, Compte de Jumonville along with other French and some Native Americans were trying to keep the British colonists from expansionism over the Appalachian Mountains. In a small glen in Western Pennsylvania they met up against a small group of Virginia planters who wanted to expand their holdings and the territory of the fledgling country. Surprised by the planters a skirmish occured and the Compte was killed. Later a brother of Jumonville tracked these planters down and by mistranslation a confession was signed by the main planter that he had, in fact, murdered the Compte. And who was this person who did such a deed? George Washington was that planter and if that had not occured, perhaps this country would today be speaking French.
