05.15.24
Patty's house in the Chain of Rocks neighborhood of St. Louis, MO

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Patty Hofer is Cementland’s neighbor in the Chain of Rocks area and cofounder of the Chain of Rocks Community Association (CORCA).

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‍Daniil:

When did you start living in Chain of Rocks?

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Patty Hofer:

We bought the little chicken house down the hill in '04. The legend is that the gentleman who lived here got upset, because the trees along the property line grew up and he could not see his river anymore. So he was burned up about that. He went down the hill and built the little gray house. And it's constructed with salvaged material. Because as you walk around the neighborhood, you see matching doors, matching railings. And when we bought that house, I was going to change the railings, because we had wrought iron on the bottom and the upper gallery had wood. Well, that doesn't work. I started looking around; I look up here, look at the neighbors. They're all like that: you have wrought iron on the lower gallery, wooden banisters on the upper gallery. So if that's the culture of the neighborhood, you go with it, right?

So we enjoyed living here. And shortly thereafter, we bought this house, the lodge, and the little building next door. And about 2009, the neighbor lady Shelley Finn, who was a police officer, and I decided the neighborhood needed a neighborhood organization. We're only about 100 homes right here on the river, kinda flying by the seat of their pants cause the cops didn't realize we were in the city, and city departments didn't know that we were part of the city. And we really needed to get our voices out there to get better city services and get to know each other. That's how we got to know everybody in the neighborhood. Because there's nothing here. We don't have a public building. We can't go to a library and get a room or go to a bank and get a room. We don't have those things. So we move the meetings to various houses, and they're all gorgeous. They're all different, and they're all gorgeous. We do have a couple of post World War II little ranch-styles in the 100,000 block of Riverview. Otherwise, they're mostly architect designed if they were built for permanent residency. Some started as fishing shacks, swimming shacks, hunting lodges. You can tell those because they got added onto over the years, so they sprawl a bit. 

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Daniil:

So would you say architectural salvage is a pretty widespread practice in the Chain of Rocks area?

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Patty Hofer:

I guess it is. When you see the pink granite, that came from somewhere; it's not native. Unless they picked it off the riverbank, which is a definite possibility [Laughs]. But apparently, in the early part of the 20th century, people made rather elaborate gardens with a lot of stone. And we don't have stone in the soil. So they had to be getting that stone from the riverbank. But as you go down Riverview, you can see the skeletons of pretty, pretty gardens.

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Daniil:

And you started the Chain of Rocks Community Association (CORCA) soon after you moved?

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Patty Hofer:

About five years later, yeah. In '09—we've been around for 15 years now. I was just thinking about all the accomplishments. In '09, our big deal was trash and traffic. People were getting killed on Riverview, and there was trash all over the place all the time. And we still got trash. I don't think it's as bad as it used to be. But MODOT came in and redesigned Riverview. So it is much, much safer. And maybe less traveled, I don't know, but it's much safer.

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Daniil: 

What was some of the work you were doing around those issues? 

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Patty Hofer:

We contacted all the city officials, because we were just the city organization at that point. And one of the members was a city Parks Commissioner, and that was nice. And the police department, sixth district, was very receptive. They'd come to a meeting anytime we invited them. So talking to various city officials. And Dionne Flowers was our alderwoman at the time, and she took a great interest in us, and she helped get money for the development of North Riverfront Park. She spent, I think it was $130,000 on the master plan. And then later on, I think they put $3 million or something into the North Riverfront Park. Now that's separate from the bridge. The bridge is a different park. 

And picking up a lot of trash. Sometimes just after 9–5 work we would get together and pick up a corner, and members would come by. Somebody would have a cooler of beer and some Slim Jims and potato chips, and we’d clean up a little bit, chatter for 20 minutes or so and wrap it up. It's still early in the evening, and we got a corner cleaned. Shelly Finn was good about getting up at 4 AM on a Sunday morning and planning brunch on the Riverbank. And she called us all, and she'd buy the groceries. And we’d go down on the bank of the river with a little fire and cook eggs or something. So it was cute. Big Muddy Adventures was just starting; they do canoe tours. So we’d go out on the Mississippi in the moonlight in a canoe and have a great time.  

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Daniil: 

What were some of the other projects that you were involved with through CORCA over the years? 

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Patty Hofer:

Just trying to get city recognition and picking up trash. We could literally hire people 40 hours a week just to monitor trash. So I don't know how you change the attitude of people. Don't throw it to begin with, take it home. Now some people in the neighboring small communities—like Riverview, Glasgow Village—the landlords don't necessarily provide trash service. So the folks are paying pretty steep rents for what they're getting, and maybe they don't make that much money. So they dump their trash where they can. And the new mayor of the city of Riverview, Mike Cornell, has closed off two smaller streets, and that's cut down tremendously on trash. So trash is a big deal here like everywhere else in the city.

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Daniil:

From what we understand, the lot where Cementland used to be on Riverview Drive attracts a lot of illegal dumping.

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Patty Hofer:

Oh yes. 

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Daniil: 

Is that one of your focus areas?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, no. There was a lot of dumping there. But at the time, Giovanna Cassilly owned it, so that was her responsibility. And now, they're still dumping there, but it belongs to a big trucking company. So they ought to be cleaning it up. So at my age and with the personal responsibilities I have—no, I'm not going down and helping out, what is it, Beelman Trucking or something? I mean, they can afford to clean that corner themselves. 

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Daniil:

Have you tried to reach out to them at all?

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Patty Hofer:

No, Daniil. I have not personally. One of the other members, Tony Rocca, has tried. I don't know if he's gotten very far.

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Daniil:

Were dumping issues in that area going on while Cementland was under construction too?

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Patty Hofer:

I don't think so. I really don't think so. While Bob was alive, I don't remember the trash issue. But then, I don't know how big his crew was. But there were people in and out all day and deliveries and things, and he didn't necessarily keep normal hours. So he might be there at night when somebody was trying to dump something. And he was an abrasive personality. So if he caught somebody dumping, there would have been words. 

We were all looking forward to Cementland; that was going to be a dream. Because Cassilly had Cementland down on Scranton, and up at the old Chain of Rocks Bridge there were various plans. We were going to have the Old Chain of Rocks Festival Park or something. And GRG [Great Rivers Greenway] did not get funding for that. So that one didn't work out. Fortunately, I believe it was the Missouri Department of Conservation that found the grant, like a $950,000 grant to complete that park. So it was pretty nice.

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Daniil:

Do you recall when you found out about Cementland for the first time?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, he'd been working on it for 10 years or something. I mean, there were articles in the Riverfront Times. I think they started out with 10 to 15 partners. And one by one, they all dropped out. And then it was just Cassilly. So I don't know the details. I mean, if you want more details—Riverfront Times archives.

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Daniil:

So you said you were looking forward to it?

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Patty Hofer:

Oh, yeah, we thought that was gonna make the neighborhood. We were just happy as clams, because we don't even get on the city maps. Because we're that little tail end, and they just cut us off. If they're doing an eight by ten map, we're out of there. Once in a while, they'll put a little inset in that we exist, but not often. So we just wanted acknowledgement that yes, we are a part of your city. And Cementland, it was going to put us on the map. Well, that didn't work out. 

Then the Zoo decided to come. So the Zoo is going to open the WildCare Park in '27, farther up Riverview, and they are going to have decks for feeding giraffes. I mean, won't that be fun? And they'll have a couple of restaurants, glamping so you can stay overnight, a little safari so you can see the wild animals. It's going to be fabulous.

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Daniil:

How did Bob Cassilly and his crew engage with the neighborhood? Were they talking to people? Were there town hall meetings?

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Patty Hofer:

Bob hosted a meeting for CORCA. One of the earlier meetings, I don't know that we were fully formed then. I believe it was September of the year we started organizing. So that would have been September of '09—I believe that's when he hosted a meeting there. But he got the times mixed up, and it was getting dark early because it was September. So we couldn't see all that much, but it looked good.

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Daniil:

The meeting was at Cementland?

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Patty Hofer:

Yeah.

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Daniil:

Do you recall what that was like and what you talked about?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, the alderwoman Dionne Flowers brought Toni Cousins in, who was head of the Riverview West Florissant CDC. And she was talking about opportunities for homeowners for home repair and various other things. So we saw the plans for Cementland, but we didn't like walk the 50 acres or anything.

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Daniil:

Just to help me understand, you were discussing those home renovation plans in relation to Cementland?

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Patty Hofer:

No, they were just opportunities in the city for people to get help with their homes. It was just the presentation that the alderwoman wanted, the information she wanted us to have.

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Daniil:

So in '09, when you guys got to meet, were you still feeling pretty optimistic about the project?

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Patty Hofer:

Oh, yeah. We thought it was great. When he died, then it was all over. Because Giovanna had brought other people in to try and develop it, but it didn't work out. She ended up selling it.

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Daniil:

Would you say there was any disturbance to the neighborhood from the construction work on Cementland?

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Patty Hofer:

I don't think so. I think they lent one of the buildings for police officers to use for target practice. I think the Riverview Police Department was able to use it for target practice. 

If my memory is correct on that, around ‘12–‘14, the gentlemen who had bought the Old North Shore Country Club at Riverview and 270 decided they would develop their property. And we're looking forward to an indoor waterpark, maybe a marina if they can get the permits for it. Clubs and restaurants right on the river, just in front of the new Chain or Rocks Bridge, or the new “new Chain Rocks Bridge,” because they're building one that replaces the one that replaced the old Chain of Rocks Bridge. So we'll have that. I understand the money for commercial developments is kind of tight right now. But they are working toward that. 

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Daniil: 

Bob Cassilly passed in 2011. Do you recall what the discussions in the neighborhood were like after his passing about Cementland and the future of the project?

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Patty Hofer:

We were hoping it would go on, but none of us were talented enough to pick it up. So it was up to Giovanna. And apparently she couldn't make it work. So.

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Daniil: 

If Cementland was finished, what kind of impact do you think it would have on the Chain of Rocks community? You mentioned that you think it would put Chain of Rocks on the map?

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Patty Hofer:

Oh, definitely. Because City Museum is one of the top attractions in the city. And if individuals were able to come to an outdoor version of City Museum, it would have been very, very popular. So it would have brought a lot of people from the metro area and all over the Midwest to the neighborhood. Now, that doesn't mean they'd stay. Come for a couple hours, enjoy the park, and then leave. 

But the little gray building down the hill is an Airbnb. And City Museum is one of the top attractions for people that come from all over the world to stay there, and the Zoo I think is first. So it's helpful, because I had one good tenant, and then I was not able to rent the house to anybody who enjoyed being here. So the Airbnb has worked out very well.

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Daniil: 

Cementland adapted the former Missouri Portland Cement factory. What else do you think that facility could be developed into, if it was up to you? What would you like to see it developed into other than a Bob Cassilly park?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, I think that's a moot question now, because it's a trucking company. And our vision is now at Pier St. Louis or Lighthouse St. Louis, whatever it ends up being. We're looking north, and they're working in collaboration with the North County, the North Campus of the Zoo. So their waterpark is going to have an animal theme. So Cementland—that's old news. That's gone. That's a dream that just didn't happen. So we're looking toward what Mark Repking can do and Tony Daniele.

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Daniil: 

We've heard about the trucking company purchasing that land. And driving here you can see there is a lot of shipping logistics operations in the area. Do you see that as a big presence?

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Patty Hofer:

Not what it used to be. There used to be 40 trucking companies up and down Hall Street. I don't know where they've gone. But regulations have changed and everything. So the trucking companies aren't as important as they used to be. If we could develop Baden, which is just west of Hall Street, that would be very nice. Baden has nice strong brick buildings. And I don't know what the drawbacks are. People have tried to improve the area, but nothing really takes. And then we're two miles north, and we are a little bit removed, and there are only about 100 houses here. And it's mostly owner occupied. I'd say 95% owner occupied. So we've got our little enclave here, and we kind of love it. I mean, you gotta be half billy goat and half river rat to live here. But it's a nice, quiet little drinking village with a little canoe problem, and we enjoy it. We're here for the river, and that's our lifeblood. And Riverview Drive is historic route Route 66. Route 66 is going to have their 100th anniversary in two years, in '26. So we're really looking forward to that. That's going to be another big celebration.

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Daniil: 

Do you think that proximity both to the river and to the highway network is one of the reasons why it's become such a hub for the shipping industry?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, yeah, all the shipping companies. And we have a port. There is a Near North Side port. But I don't know exactly where it is on the map. And frankly, I'm not real sure it's on the Missouri side; it might be on the Illinois side. You could look that up through the Corps of Engineers website. But another asset to the neighborhood is Lock and Dam 27. Because the lock is imperative for river traffic. And the dam is unusual, because it's underwater. It just keeps the water up for the Alton pool, so we can get barge traffic through this part of the river. And they didn't just throw rocks in the river; it was set up scientifically by Corps of Engineers to go across the river and hold water in, I think for an eight foot draft. I think that's all you need for barges. 

But to build the dam, they didn't divert the water, they didn't dewater. They didn't use coffer dams. They were able to work with the water there as it was. Of course, the water goes up and down. So I imagine they got more done when it was down. But it's as important an engineering feat as the old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which is world renown because of its impact. The fact that it has that angle was necessary because we didn't have the dam and the lock at the time. And the river boat captains needed to be able to avoid the piers with the current. So I imagine that it was very involved, just determining where the piers could go, because you couldn't just put them anywhere. The subsoil wasn't strong enough at different areas. So they came up with that angle.

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Daniil: 

And is the flooding from the river in this area an issue for development?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, no, because the North Riverfront Park is designed to flood. That's our floodplain. And frankly, the locals really like floods, because it cuts out all the traffic on Riverview. Sometimes it will come up to Riverview—there is a dike there, but water goes over dikes, you know. But people will come and fish in the floodwaters. They're really not looking for a meal; they come to enjoy the water being that close. It's like a carnival, because people park along Riverview Drive, and they have their kids. They even set up little tables and chairs, you know, have a picnic there. It's really cute. 

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Daniil: 

As part of this project, we are also looking into the history of the Missouri Portland Cement plant. Are you familiar with it?

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Patty Hofer:

No, but I knew somebody who worked there. I do believe he's dead. I think he lived in South County. He was in a landlord organization in Carondelet – Holly Hills. And when I said I had moved up here, he said he used to work here.

I don't know anybody at the current time, but I imagine it was quite busy, don't you think? I mean, it's 50 acres. It must have been pretty important.

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Daniil: 

Did he share details about what his role was?

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Patty Hofer:

No, no, I'm afraid he did not.

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Daniil:

With a lot of the industry in the area shifting from cement manufacture in the 70s–80s to just shipping logistics, in your experience, were a lot of local folks employed in that logistics industry?

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Patty Hofer:

No. In this neighborhood, they were architects, firefighters. I think a couple police officers. Mrs. Puder was a wedding gown designer. I don't know what Mr. Puder did. And maybe their son was career army. I don't know. 

But Mrs. Puder was from the Philippines. And she was a kid. She was in her 20s. She had two businesses in the Philippines. And she had married this American GI, and he got orders. He had to go back to the States. She goes to her mother. She says, "Well, what am I going to do? I got the coffee shop, I got my tailoring business." Her mother said, "You married, and you gotta go." So they go. Her in-laws lived on the north side of the city. And you know the tradition: after church on a Sunday you go for a little drive. You're too young. You wouldn't know that. But way back in the 50s, people would do that. So they're driving around and Mrs. Puder said, "This is where I want to live. You gotta buy me a house up here." She says, "And he knew he had to do it, because I could go back to the Philippines. My family was in business. He knew I could go back and be okay.” 

So he did. He bought a beautiful red brick house. One of the jewel houses here on Riverview in the 9800 block. That's the only part of the neighborhood you really see from Riverview Drive, that 9800 block. They bought a house there and raised their kids there, and later her son bought next door to them. They set up their own little family compound, and one of the daughters rented the house right next door to us on Adrian, the one that has two T-Birds parked in the driveway right now.

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Daniil: 

And you mentioned some of the folks who you knew when you moved were architects. Why do you think architects were choosing to live in Chain of Rocks?

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Patty Hofer: 

Because the wife's family lived here, and that's where they were going to live. And there were people from the newspaper; a lot of influential people lived on Lookaway Drive. That's the northernmost street, and that's where the old Chain of Rocks Amusement Park was. And there are a lot of Stockbroker's Tudors. A lot of the houses were built during the 1920s, because people made a lot of money in the stock market, and they liked that Tudor Revival style. 

Small merchants had a house here. That house, it's a bungalow-style built in 1917. Indoor barbecue grill, just a real elaborate house. The Droste family from Droste Heating and Cooling lived there. With a walk-in safe, so she can hang all her furs, and then a smaller safe in the wall for the jewelry and cash and crap. But some of the houses here do have safes built in, because people were in small businesses.

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Daniil: 

And you mentioned the Chain of Rocks amusement park. I've never heard of that before. What was that?

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Patty Hofer:

That was a big deal, Daniil. When did it open—probably in the mid ‘20s? Amusement parks were popular then. If you're growing up in this neighborhood in the ‘50s–’60s, you're gonna play in the river. Even though your parents tell you that you can't play in the river, you're gonna get in there. And then they had the swimming pool at the North Shore Country Club. Then they had the pool over at the amusement park. So this was heaven on earth. It was a great place to be a kid. They had pony rides at the amusement park. I think they had rollerskating. They had dances on Saturday night, and the local bands would play here. So you're going to Chain of Rocks on Saturday night for the dance. So the amusement park was very, very popular. Companies would have their company picnics there; schools would have their school picnics. And when you went out on the ferris wheel or the roller coaster, you're overlooking the river and the old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

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Daniil: 

And when did it close down?

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Patty Hofer:

Later ‘70s. Six Flags came in and kind of ruined it. And then I believe there was a fire. And now it's 32–34 townhomes. 

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I'll introduce you to Gretchen Meyer, whose family lives underneath them. She's not very happy with them, because they had some kind of an engineering problem. And a lot of water came down on her property and shoved her garage like eight feet off her foundation. And that's the garage her daddy and his brothers built in 1948. 

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Daniil: 

Sounds like the amusement park brought a lot of folks to Chain of Rocks at the time, probably. 

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Patty Hofer:

Oh, yeah. That's when we were on the map. And when I say Chain of Rocks now, to kids who grew up locally, they remember it. If you were North Side, you came to Chain of Rocks. If you were South, you went to the Highlands, which is where the Forest Park Junior College is now. That was the Highlands Amusement Park, which also had a fire.

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Daniil: 

I see a parallel with Cementland in the sense of attractions bringing folks here. Now, hopefully, that's going to happen with the Zoo. But what was your understanding of the Cementland project at the time? Did you see it as an amusement park sort of thing, or was it presented as more of a sculpture park? 

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Patty Hofer:

It was going to be more of an amusement park. Bob’s sculptures would have been there, like they are on that other property that may have been sold now. They had a house here on Riverview and Chambers, and it's not much of a house. Again, a Tudor Revival, but they painted it all gray. And they did a lot of renovations, not necessarily in keeping with the style of the house, because Bob was in the vanguard, you know. Everything would have to be forward. And a lot of his sculptures were on the property, but they did not go with it when it was sold. So one of the members was saying, "Well, it kind of took away all the flavor. The property wouldn't be much without the sculptures." It wasn't as interesting. I think it's been sold recently. I did not go into the house for their open house. Some of the other neighbors did. And it was very, very modern looking. But I like old houses. So it would not have appealed to me.

But yeah, it would have just been an amusement park.

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Daniil: 

Interacting  with Bob Cassilly's crew, is there anything that you wish they did differently in approaching the project? Or anything that a future artist coming into Chain of Rocks to do a public art piece could do differently?

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Patty Hofer:

Yeah: pay attention to the rules. We have rules for a reason, and somebody who is more willing to go along with what the city requires would be more successful, I think.

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Daniil: 

And what are some of those rules?

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Patty Hofer:

Well, it's part of the permitting process: like occupancy permits and safety issues and just normal stuff that keep us all safer.

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Daniil:

And what do you think are some of those safety issues that can arise when a project is carried out? What should folks be most vigilant about in terms of safety?

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Patty Hofer: 

Well, City Museum—I understand there's a lot of lawsuits. I don't know how you can make it safer. And when you go there, and you go through the tunnels and down the slides, you have some personal responsibility there. Anything can happen. So I don't know how. You couldn't ask people to wear helmets and airbags. That's beyond my capacity. 

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Daniil: 

What is the city agency that oversees those sorts of things? Who was Bob Cassily's crew working with on those issues?

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Patty Hofer:

Planning and zoning would have been one of them. Building inspection would have been another, I think. I don't know how many others would have been involved. But they're nice folks. They're easy to get along with. The St. Louis city workers are all trying to do the best job possible. So I find them real easy to get along with. 

But they have rules, and they have to ask the public to go along with them. I don't find them unreasonable. If you think they're unreasonable, then you go to court or bring it to somebody's attention. You try and get it changed. But if you don't want to do that, then you go along with what they say.

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Daniil: 

One of the biggest issues in terms of safety around that site that's come up both in our archival research into the Missouri Portland Cement plant and with Cementland was cement dust.

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Patty Hofer:

You're making a good point.  

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Daniil: 

Being in such close proximity to that site, is cement dust pollution a concern in the area?

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Patty Hofer:

No. I don't know. Because we have so many trees, we have a lot of woods between here and there. So I don't know if that ever has been an issue. I've never heard of it. But I think the soil was contaminated there. And Cassily's kids were playing there. So maybe that wasn't the best idea. It didn't seem to be the best place in the world for little ones. But that's my opinion. And you know how people who don't have children are, they know everything about raising kids. So I wouldn't put too much stock in what I have to say. [Laughs.]

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Liz:

I know we were talking a little bit about adherence to rules and such that Bob Cassilly and anyone on that property would owe to the area. But something that's come up as a theme is the impacts on the community, people living here. As somebody that's familiar with the area, what does somebody making a big art project or even running a trucking company owe to the community? Or do they owe anything?

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Patty Hofer:

Acknowledgement, maybe, that we are here. Mido's trucking kind of ignores us. Hurts my feelings, hurts me more because they don't contribute to our annual car show. Whereas the people developing Pier St. Louis are very, very generous. They're just wonderful. And they will do a lot for us. And Cassilly wasn't all that involved with the community. We hadn't started the car shows before he died. But I don't know, maybe he would have given us a couple of tickets to his entity downtown. But they weren't very involved with community. They wanted things their way, and that was that. We had a community meeting here one time, and he walked out. He was disgruntled about something that was minor, and he walked out of the meeting. I thought that was kind of childish. Everybody else seems to get along. 

In 2014, we started doing these car shows. And they started in the North Riverfront Park, because it was the neighborhood we wanted to highlight. Then there was construction in the park, and we couldn't use the parks. So GRG was very, very nice about saying, "Yes, you can use the bridge." And a car show belongs on an historic bridge. So it's very, very popular; people from all over the country come, and it's a real pleasant day and beautiful cars. Fabulous folks. So that's our claim to fame. Now we do that car show.

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Liz:

So it's safe to say that building a rapport with the community is mutually beneficial?

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Patty Hofer:

Oh, I think so. The Pier St. Louis people, we will be patronizing the businesses they set up, because they've done so much for us over the years. One time we needed a couple of generators at the last minute. And they, on a Sunday, came in and brought generators over for us. So they just go out of their way to be helpful. The Zoo has been very, very good about keeping us apprised of how the development is going. And a young man from Australia comes by the meetings every now and again, gives us a little update with a PowerPoint presentation. So yeah, we want to know what's going on. We're interested and we want to support anything that's here.

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Oh, let me tell you about another shattered dream. We wanted a mountain biking trail. The bluffs along Riverview—perfect for mountain biking, and this organization GORC [Gateway Off-Road Cyclists] started building it. Unfortunately, they had not engaged the public, and some gal up on Lookaway had been on vacation for six weeks. And she comes back, and she starts squawking about, "And there it is right at my front doorstep, a mountain biking trail with all those drugs and stuff." Well, that's not the demographic. People who are involved in the sport average 70 grand a year income, and they spend a great deal of money on their equipment. They're not harboring drugs. So Peggy just put the kibosh on that. And I thought it was a great idea. And some of the members, some of the residents—I was not here yet—just went along with Peggy, because she's very... She's a lot like Bob Cassilly. [Laughs.] She didn't want it, so nobody should want it. And I remember one of the members saying, "I should have supported it." But he was afraid to go up against Peggy. So that was another dream that just didn't materialize. 

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Daniil: 

Is there anything else that you wish we touched on that we haven't asked you? 

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Patty Hofer:

You know, I don't know that Cementland is such a great subject. Because that didn't happen. It's a nice idea. But it didn't happen. The new Chain of Rocks Park is here, it's live and in person, and we can do a lot with it. And the WildCare Park with the Zoo is here; it's happening. And it's gonna be an awful lot of fun. It's gonna bring a lot of people, and they're going to get a kick out of it, and you have the facet of the environment. They're preserving species that we could lose. 

Another part of your environmental segment would be that we need more respect for our water. St. Louis has water. But we're not good at conserving it. And other places are running out of it. So that might bring people to St. Louis. We got water, but I think we ought to be paying more attention to how we use it. 

And the history is just a lot of fun. Apparently, this was a tony part of town, and some of the houses were built for parties. There's a mansion on our block where there are two powder rooms. They got two front doors, so you can come in Lookaway, or you can come up the Riverview entrance. And they've got a powder room at each entrance. It's one of the prettier areas that kind of went downhill a bit. The white flight in the 70s was a big deal up here. Supposedly, they moved a lot of poor people from Mill Creek Valley into apartments up here. And dinky little apartments, 400 square foot apartments. And people didn't have cars, and there's not much public transportation, not many jobs. So that was a strategic mistake on the federal government's part. So that created a lot of white flight. Some people think it's a law that you get to a certain age; you gotta move to St. Charles. You can stay wherever the heck you are. You don't have to move west. And when you move west far enough, you end up in the Pacific Ocean. So stay here in the city. 

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Daniil: 

Do you know if this area was one of the sundown communities before then?

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Patty Hofer: 

Yeah, they had covenants. Cause the people in the white house next door did find it in a deed. And the lawsuit that got rid of those was in Black Jack, wasn't it? It was close around here. But the white flight allowed Black families to move in. And a lot of those Black families have Corvettes parked in their garages. I think it's a fairly integrated neighborhood. I haven't counted anybody, but I think it's 50–50. Well, the whole city's kind of 50–50, isn't it? But here, block by block, we're 50–50.

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Liz:

It's interesting, because what you're saying with the white flight in the 70s coincides with the time when this exact neighborhood was fighting with Missouri Portland Cement about the cement dust. 

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Patty Hofer:

I did not know that. Oh, that was part of it, huh? I had no idea. I'll have to ask some of the neighbors. 

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Liz:

Yeah, it would have been around like ‘74. 

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Patty Hofer:

No kidding. Oh, and in the late 70s, they had a yacht club here in North Riverfront Park. And one of the neighbors, Vito, said that's one of the reasons he moved here. So he could have a boat, and it was real nice for his kids. He had four or five kids and a German Shepherd dog. And kids had all this room to run all day long, and they could go out on the river and everything. So it's a nice place to live. But he never said anything about cement dust.

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