During the early 1900s the river became a popular recreational area for swimming, fishing, and canoeing, and river resorts began to develop as the banks were lined with clubhouses. During the Roaring 20s, trainloads of weekend visitors were drawn to the resort towns of Castlewood, Valley Park, Sherman, Glencoe, and Times Beach. Folklore indicates the Biltmore Country Club in the Fenton area was a popular hangout for gangsters during Prohibition. After several decades of abuse, overuse, and neglect, the river was judged unfit, but today it is in transition because of renewed interest in its recreational potential.