By Caitlin Cook Nathan Wills wants people to remember the city of Nitro's "explosive beginning." He and others on the Nitro Historic Commission have worked especially hard in recent years to transform Nitro into a living World War I memorial through rebranding efforts. 2017 will be a big year for the group as Nitro celebrates its centennial. During Tuesday night's council meeting, Wills, historic commission vice president, presented two commemorative items before council to kick off the year-long festivities: a hand crafted steel poppy flower and a knife set that went to Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt. "It's unbelievable, a lot of people will come to Nitro and say, 'Well where's all the historic buildings?'" Wills explained.