Sample Project Page

Mill Creek Valley was a St. Louis neighborhood bordered by Grand to the East and 20th on the West. Its Northern border is Olive Blvd, and it extended to just south of the current location of Interstat 64. In the 1950s Mill Creek valley was filled with 5,600 homes, 800 businesses and 40 churches. It was destroyed was destroyed in a wave of "urban renewal" that was sweeping the country. Frequently referred to as "slum clearance" by the local media and politicians the plans for Mill Creek failed to take into account the human cost and instead focused on real estate. 

There were problems in Mill Creek Valley. For instance nearly fifty percent of the homes did not have running water. The city's solution? Get voters to approve a $10 million bond to tear it down. Many of the residents would move to the Pruitt-Igoe housing project which would be demolished twenty years later when it became a symbol of urban decay.

Notable residents include entrepreneur Madam CJ Walker and entertainer Josephine Baker. It was also home to many St. Louis families that are still dealing with the financial and emotional impact of dislocation.