Event: 1920-30 Suburban Expansion as the Automobile Beca Brief Description: Highways in St. Louis County before 1930 consisted mostly of rough roads that followed an existing network of Indian trails, usually winding and narrow as they followed the path of least resistance. These were gradually improved and widened, a process involving graduation from dirt roads to wooden plank to macadam (oiled gravel), and finally to concrete and asphalt. The first concrete road was Gravois, extending from the City limits to Busch´s farm. The St. Charles Road was paved in concrete in 1921, and others soon followed. With the advent of better roads and innovative car design, as well as improved railroad facilities, City residents began moving into the County to leave behind the crowding and pollution that plagued the City. Decade: 1920 - 1929 |
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