John Gipner Video Text

John Gipner was born in Germany on June 24, 1861. He came to Niles in the 1890s after being hired by the Michigan Central Railroad to work as executive caretaker for their landscaping and beautification program.
Master Gardener John Gipner developed the gardens at the Niles Railroad Depot.

Still standing at 5th and Dey Streets, the current Niles Depot opened in 1892 and was designed to impress travelers on their way to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Gipner worked to add extensive gardens with greenhouses, colorful flower beds, shade trees, walkways, benches, and even a fish pond to the grounds surrounding the Depot.

He started a custom of giving a fresh flower to each lady passenger. The greenhouses supplied flowers for railway dining cars and other depots along the rail line. Gipner’s efforts earned Niles the nickname “Garden City.”

Gipner also supervised the construction and maintenance of other Michigan Central Railroad depot gardens, including ones in Dowagiac, Decatur, Buchanan and Three Oaks.

Today, the Four Flags Garden Club carries on Gipner’s legacy by maintaining the gardens at the Niles Railroad Depot. They also developed the beautiful landscaping and memorial marker around his gravesite at Silverbrook Cemetery.