Vintage Niles, Kansas Main Street.
Niles, Kansas, is a census-designated place on the banks of the Solomon River in Lincoln Township of Ottawa County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56. It is also an extinct town as its post office closed decades ago.
This place got its start in 1866 when 15 covered wagons set out from Illinois to Kansas. Along the way, some families became discouraged, some turned back, and others failed to reach the destination. However, seven families pushed on to southeast Ottawa County and arrived in what would become Niles. Initially, calling the settlement Arcala, the pioneers lived in dugouts. Being on the banks of the Solomon River provided them with access to a water source and the potential for fertile land.
Niles, Kansas Depot.
Niles had a twin town, which was known as Georgetown. It was founded by George Carbaugh, who was also a player in the development of Niles. Georgetown was located just a half mile away from Niles, resulting in considerable competition between the two. Niles ultimately prevailed, and Carbaugh relocated Georgetown to the Niles site instead.
When a post office opened on August 10, 1885, almost 20 years after the town was established, it was called Nilesville. Two years later, the name was shortened to Niles on August 25, 1887.
At its peak, Niles had a couple of grocery stores, a hotel, a meat locker, the Niles Bank, and an Implement store, all of which were owned by the Sullivan family.
In about 1909, the post office was relocated to the home of Mary and Leda Keuker, who were also responsible for the telephone exchange.
Niles, Kansas Community Center, courtesy of Google Maps.
In 1910, Niles was situated on the Union Pacific Railroad, which at the time featured a bank, telegraph office, express office, a money order post office with one rural route, and all the main lines of business activity, with a population of 200.
Niles really declined once the automobile was introduced in the early 1900s. Located right on the border of Saline County, it is situated extremely close to larger cities like Solomon and Salina. It is also located near the Ottawa County seat of Minneapolis, which provides easy access to the amenities and services of a larger city.
Nile’s population fell in the following decades.
A grain elevator in Niles, Kansas, courtesy of Google Maps.
The post office closed on February 16, 1974. After that, Niles became unincorporated.
However, it still displays a number of homes, a grain elevator, and an active railroad. An old school serves as a community center.
Today, the community is served by the Solomon USD 393 public school district headquartered in Solomon, Kansas.
Niles is located off Interstate 70 West at Exit 260. It is 18 miles southeast of Minneapolis, the county seat.
The old post office and telephone exchange building in Niles, Kansas, has been converted into a private residence.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated June 2025.
Also See:
Extinct Towns of Ottawa County
Sources:
Hannah C. Sullivan, “Niles, Ottawa County,” Lost Kansas Communities, Chapman Center for Rural Studies, Kansas State University, 2013.
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
Wikipedia