February 12, 1781

A Spanish force captured British-held Fort St. Joseph.

Once an important French fort on the route to the Mississippi River, Fort St. Joseph (present-day Niles, Michigan) had fallen into disrepair under the control of the British and was an easy target for a force of Spaniards who traveled from St. Louis, Missouri. The Spaniards’ one-day occupation of Fort St. Joseph allowed Niles residents to boast later that theirs was the only Michigan community over which four flags (French, British, Spanish and American) had flown.

Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past.  See more here.