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by people living in the city. Suburban farmers again took advantage of their suburban location by operating garbage pickup routes in the city. As the north-south through roads began to be paved in the 1920s, more St. Paulites drove into the country seeking recreation and relaxation at the rural lakes. Farmers capitalized on the traffic flow by setting up roadside produce stands. Some stands slowly evolved to grocery stores. The market gardeners were joined by nurserymen who very early specialized in producing both woody stock and flowers. These activities demanded a great deal of labor and yet would yield a high profit per acre. Thus agriculture could co-exist with urban development for some time. The large number of very small parcels meant that there was developable land for sale nearly all the time. On the other hand, it was difficult to assemble a large parcel of land to convert to housing. It was hard to make much money by farming in the 1920s and 1930s, but farm families did have enough to eat. The labor-intensive agriculture meant that farmers were always looking for extra help. Therefore, during the Depression, when many people left the city to live in the surrounding rural area, they were welcomed and soon put to work on the small farms. The 1920s and 30s were also the time when electricity and associated mechanization of farm chores and domestic life took place. The gradual spread of the electric lines in the area reflected the pay-as-you-go attitude of both the utility company and the farm population. Despite increases in productivity due to electricity, the farmers in the township found economic conditions difficult. The produce prices fluctuated, and frequently they were not able to break even. (See Map indicating farm holdings in Roseville circa 1931, compiled by the Roseville Historical Society) The road development caused a minor boom in recreational development. First of the recreational areas was McCarron's Lake on the eastern edge of the township, which was the beach for most of the inner neighborhoods of St. Paul. It was very popular during the 1920s when a high-diving tower attracted daredevils. The area's lakes continued to attract picnickers during the depression but land development came to a standstill. Although the demand for housing increased during the war years, government rationing prevented any significant building. However, all the landowners in the vicinity knew that Rose Township would be easy to develop using a grid pattern of streets tied to the St. Paul street system. (See Roseville Heritage Trail Map) Roseville Comprehensive Plan - 2002 Update The Land and its People - Page 10 of 30