"You could walk and get anything you wanted . . . it was like a little village."

The housing of Mill Creek Valley - which included single-family, 2-family, row unit and rooming house type dwellings - had been built in the waning days of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century. The residents of the area enjoyed the proximity of all necessities of life within walking distance of their homes. Fifty percent of the housing had been purchased after World War II, while four percent had been owned for 20 years or more. Those who did not own a home usually rented from local owners, who paid their mortgage with the rent. Whether owner or renter, the majority of the residents in the 454-acre, 5,700-dwelling community were African-American.

" . . . it was not unusual to see rats as large as spaniels roaming the area."

However, by the 1950s the houses had become obsolete and dilapidated due to little or no maintenance through the years. A 1954 housing survey conducted by the Land Clearance Authority showed that 99% of the structures needed major repairs, 80% were without private baths and toilets and 67% lacked running water. Moreover, there were rat and other infestation problems. With the cramped conditions, proximity of housing and garbage-filled alleys, fires were a common occurrence. Since the 1940s, the city of Saint Louis saw clearance - rather than repair - as the only solution to the problems. With the passage of the 1955 bond issue, the city would be able to carry out redevelopment of the area.