As a young mother, Carmen Kostelansky remembers taking her toddler daughter to Nitro's 50th-anniversary celebration to watch a parade and attend a ceremony honoring the city's history. Although Kostelansky was born and raised in Nitro, at that time she didn't have a strong connection to the town's history.
Fifty years later, Kostelansky has changed. She now serves as treasurer of the Nitro Historical Commission and volunteers at the Nitro World War I Museum.
She is also one of the chief organizers for Nitro's centennial events.
Nitro, a city created as a World War 1 boom town, will celebrate its centennial this year. The city is planning multiple events to celebrate the city's history, the first being a centennial kickoff event Jan. 12 at the Nitro World War I Museum.
The event will focus on Nitro's history. After the U.S. entered World War I, the country soon suffered from a gunpowder shortage. Nitro was one of three cities created throughout the country to manufacture gunpowder. The city was created in less than a year to create and operate a gunpowder manufacturing complex. Military barracks were built for thousands of employees to sleep in. About 19,000 employees worked in the factory at any given time.
After the war, similar towns throughout the country were abandoned. However in Nitro, multiple manufacturing companies began moving in.
The Nitro Branding Committee has been planning events for the centennial for the last year.
The kickoff event will focus on honoring veterans in the area and encouraging people to attend other events throughout the year, including veteran ceremonies, parades and a large celebration in September. The city also plans to open its new World War I park in May.
Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt said the events are an opportunity to remember Nitro's past, and market Nitro for the future.
"It's an opportunity to create a sense of place for our citizens and create an attachment to the community through the centennial," Casebolt said. "No matter how far our youth travel, they will always feel attached to the community."
Kostelansky said when she was young, no one discussed Nitro's history. While in school she knew that Nitro was built during World War I, but didn't understand the specifics.
Now it's easier for children in the town to understand why Nitro exists today. Kostelansky visits schools to tell stories about the town and shows items from the museum, like uniforms or flags.
She said the children often ask family members to bring them to the museum, and ask family members about military service.
"It makes me proud to know that I'm a part of that history," Kostelansky said. "It's important that we keep our veterans' memories alive. It's important that they know that we're a tight-knit Nitro group, that we love the city and that's why we're still here."
According to a 2015 U.S. Census Survey, 648 veterans live in Nitro.
Reach Ali Schmitz at ali.schmitz@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @SchmitzMedia on Twitter.