Spanish Flag Over Niles & MSU's Founding | Feb 12

Published February 12, 2026 at 12:00 AM EST

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On this day in 1781, a Spanish force captured Fort St. Joseph, raising Spain’s flag over Michigan. In 1855, Governor Kinsley S. Bingham established The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, later MSU, which became the prototype for land-grant institutions.

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