SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37

(By Senators Jeffries, Romano, Lindsay, Stollings, and Unger)

[Introduced March 19, 2021]

Requesting the Division of Highways name, upon construction of the new bridges that will replace the Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge, carrying WV 64 over the Kanawha River, locally known as the Nitro/St. Albans Bridge in Kanawha County, the new Eastbound Lane/Bridge, the “Nitro WW I Living Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, On August 29, 1916, the United States Congress authorized the building of the Naval Ordnance Plant between U.S. 60 and the railroad in South Charleston, West Virginia.  The plant took two years to build, spanned 900,000 square feet, and began operating in May of 1918.  According to the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, this naval base was the first in U.S. history to be placed away from seawaters.  The U.S. Navy was drawn to the location by West Virginia’s natural resources, as well as its “moral environment and splendid citizenship”.  The plant manufactured military equipment such as armor plates, gun forgings, and projectiles for battleships and cruisers which were used by the U.S. Navy in World War I; and

Whereas, Nitro was a World War I boom town believed to be named after nitrocellulose, which was used to manufacture smokeless gunpowder and other explosive devices.  The plant was one of three selected by the U.S. government under the Deficiency Appropriations Act to relieve a severe shortage of gunpowder.  Nitro’s location, 14 miles from Charleston, was chosen because it was secure from coastal attacks and climatic conditions while having access to railroads, waterways, and raw materials.  The ordnance plant complex was known as Explosive Plant C. It was built in just 11 months and thousands of workers, supplies, and materials arrived practically overnight; and

Whereas, During the 11 months that the Explosive Plant C was in operation, the town was 90 percent complete and housed 23,951 people associated with the plant.  There was a high turnover of people coming and going from the plant, with workers from each state and representing 41 different nationalities.  Some who arrived for work in 1918 suffered from Spanish influenza and army barracks and other buildings had to be converted into hospitals to care for the sick; and

Whereas, By the end of the war on November 11, 1918, Explosive Plant C had produced 350 tons of smokeless gun powder per day.  On Armistice Day, Nitro celebrated with a parade of cars, military tanks, and a band.  Within two weeks after the Armistice, 12,000 people left Nitro and there were not enough workers to sustain plant production.  The director of the plant turned its operation over to the Ordnance Department on January 15, 1919, and the plant was declared surplus as the U.S. government prepared to liquidate the property.  Workers were laid off in October of 1919 and, a month later, the facilities were sold at auction to the Charleston Industrial Corporation; and

Whereas, In November of 1919, a state charter was granted to the Charleston Industrial Corporation which was organized for the specific purpose of purchasing and redeveloping the surplus government property at Nitro.  The Charleston Industrial Corporation launched a sales promotion campaign to attract new industries and businesses to the area, focusing on manufacturing and chemical industries.  By 1921, the future of Nitro was beginning to take shape with many wartime holdovers calling it home and relying on their friends and neighbors for fellowship, common interests, and help in time of need.  This early community spirit remains strong; and

Whereas, Remnants of Nitro’s gunpowder production history can be seen throughout the town and many special events associated with both World War I and World War II are held each year.  The town proudly celebrates its wartime history and being known as a “living memorial to World War I”; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate Nitro’s rich past and significance to our country during World War I; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name the new Eastbound Lane/Bridge, upon construction of the new bridges that will replace the Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge, carrying WV 64 over the Kanawha River, locally known as the Nitro/St. Albans Bridge in Kanawha County, the “Nitro WW I Living Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the Eastbound lane or bridge as the “Nitro WW I Living Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.