History of the Woman’s Club of Nitro On February 15, 1934 a small group of women interested in forming a Woman’s
Club, met at the home of Mrs. R. L. Sibley. They adopted a Constitution, passed By-Laws and sought to receive admission to
the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
Mrs.Sibley was the first president for the Woman’s Club of Nitro. The Club started the year getting the organization
in running order. There were three departments, Liberal Arts, Education and Hone Economics. General meetings were held in
Witry Hall and Departments met the homes In September 1934, Mr. G. C. Alderson graciously offered a six room bungalow, rent
free, for the Club House. The Club began to grow. It became the leader in Public Spirit and Civic Improvement. By the end
of the year, the Woman’s Club of Nitro received the prize award given by the G.F.W.C. Capitol District by achieving
the “Most Outstanding Project of the Year”.
In 1935, the Club, sponsored the organization of the Girl Scout Troops in Nitro, IN 1936, the Club furnished glasses
for children, paid for operations, and assisted in transportation of the sick to clinics.
In 1937, the Club was the sight of the Capitol District Convention of the G.F.W.C. This year the Club had to give
up the Club House due to the growth of the City, but, the Nitro industrial Corporation generously gave it rooms in their office
building on the corner of 21st and First Avenue over the Sibley Drug Store.
In 1939, the Woman’s Club of Nitro and the Nitro Lions Club joined hands in promoting welfare work, backing
the Red Cross and Tuberculosis sale of seals, and kept 30 children supplied with milk and cod-liver oil during the winter.
The Nitro Lions and the Woman’s Club of Nitro worked together to make the Community of Nitro a better place in which
to live.
For 25 years the Woman’s Club worked with many fund raisers to pay off the lot they purchased on the corner
of 23rd and 2nd Avenue. At one meeting, Mrs. Guy Belcher, better known as “Sally” showed up with a cinder block.
She announced that this was the first cinder block for the new Club House and asked that each member bring a cinder block
to the next meeting. This project became the whole-hearted support and cooperation of the entire town of Nitro. The Woman’s
Club was the first to recognize the need for such a building in Nitro. The planning, financing, and supervision of the actual
building were done by Club Members.
