130 Years of History in Siouxland
Our YMCA is celebrating 130 years of building a better us! And as one of the community’s largest and oldest non-profits, we are honoring 130 years of impact. Here’s a look at some milestones and how we’ve been shaping Siouxland through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility since 1886.
1884 YMCA organized by 90 members (August 14 at 318 Pearl Street, Sioux City)
1886 YMCA incorporated – for the purpose of “improvement of the spiritual, moral, mental, social and physical conditions of young men” (January 3)
1888 Largest Y in Iowa with 650 members
1889 Purchased site at 7th & Pierce Streets for $20,000
1893 New building dedicated and opened (February 5)
1890s Prior to Central High’s gym being built, Sioux City high school basketball teams played at the Y
1902 Sioux City YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) founded
1904 Original YMCA building mortgage foreclosed; temporary quarters set-up before debts refinanced
1904 Sioux City YMCA Giants Basketball team finished second in national tournament held at World’s Fair
1905 YMCA Night School classes begin
1909 Sixteen piece YMCA Orchestra formed
1910 Summer Camp established at Crystal Lake, South Sioux City
1914 New ‘Businessmen Health’ classes begin
1919 Weekly newspaper – ‘the Y Astonisher’ – published
1923 YWCA facility opened at 619 6th Street (corner of 6th & Jackson, Sioux City)
1929 Permanent boys summer camp – Sioux Y Camp – opened
1931 Over 600 boys of unemployed parents given free membership privileges
1936 Golden Jubilee Week for 50th anniversary (March 25 – 31)
1936 First Free Swim School held (May)
1939 Facility modernized
1940s 185th ARW used YMCA during World War II for fitness as there were no gym or pool at the airbase
1944 Worldwide YMCA Centennial Week held (June)
1945 Morningside College night classes hosted at the Y
1947 Electricity installed at Sioux Y Camp
1952 Y participates in Missouri River flood relief efforts
1955 Groundbreaking for new building at 8th & Nebraska Streets, Sioux City
1956 New Siouxland Y facility opened (November)
1956 Sixty-four year old first building at 7th & Pierce torn down
1957 YMCA featured on television for first time (January)
1970 Bus outreach program initiated
1972 Ten day basketball marathon held
1985 YMCA & YWCA merge
2008 State of the art new facility – the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA – opened at 601 Riverview Drive
2011 Membership reaches all-time high: 7,500 members (April)
2011 Temporarily relocated to Long Lines Family Rec Center during Missouri River flood (June)
2016 130th Anniversary celebrated with ‘130 Years of Impact’ (February 10)
Special thanks to Tom Munson and Sioux City Public Museum Archives for helping us gather historical photographs and dates.