History

Urbanization and local economy started taking off in Raccoon City in the 1960s, possibly due to the Umbrella Pharmaceuticals moving in.  During this time, the city saw the construction of the tram line, linking Raccoon City to both Stoneville and the Arklay Mountains.  Meanwhile the Kite Bros. Railway was constructed as a subway that opened up in 1969.  1969 was also the same year that the Raccoon City Police Department was formed and the RPD was under construction.  In the meantime, The Arklay County Sheriff Department held presence in Raccoon City.

With the economic boom aided by Umbrella's continued investment in the city into the 1980s, the company town had expanded far beyond its 1950s limits and was fast becoming a tourist spot, taking in out-of-state hikers, and the subway had expanded to encompass eight stations. A river dock was also established along the Circular River following Umbrella's arrival.

The city dealt with a short recession in the early 1990s.  Mayor Michael Warren's Bright Raccoon 21 plan, he was able to reverse the economic recession that Umbrella funded.  As part of the plan, the Raccoon General Hospital was constructed, while another hospital located in the Arklay Mountain forest was forced to shut down due to a scandal involving the company.  Umbrella formed the S.T.A.R.S. teams in 1996, as the company began gaining control of the city.  This organization consists of ex-military personnel and medic experts, and was assigned missions on criminal activity that the RPD couldn't handle such as counter terrorism and riots.

The Mansion Incident

The year is 1998, which is a bad year because that's the year where a series of unfortunate events involving virus outbreaks that lead to the city total destruction.  One of the B.O.W. called The Queen Leech, began attacks on Umbrella facilities in the Arklay Mountains as a act of revenge because of the murder of one of Umbrella founders, Dr. James Marcus in 1988. Umbrella was unable to control the facility, and it lead to the escape of infected Cerberus that ran amok in the region.  The zombie dogs preyed on hikers, followed up to a group of ten zombies hunting down.  The first known reported victim was a women found at Cedar on May 20, 1998 having been attacked and washed down the river.  Mid-June, twenty people have been found dead as attacks occurred in their houses.  Seven further deaths were reported among five attacks.  The RPD explored the theory that the attackers were a cult based in a hideout in the mountains who ritualistically murdered and ate their victims after consuming narcotics, but they hit a dead end when neither Raccoon General Hospital or local pharmacies reported unusual customers.  The RPD lost confidence in their ability to solve the case, they blocked off the road to the Arklay Mountains, leaving the situation to be solved by the S.T.A.R.S. in July.

Ahead of the mission, the Bravo Team's helicopter was sabotaged by the Alpha Team's Captain Albert Wesker. It was Umbrella's intension to destroy the Arklay Lab using S.T.A.R.S. which would likely end up killed by the B.O.W. to see if they can stand the viability against a unit with personnel trained in military combat.  Hours after the Bravo Team's last communication, Albert Wesker had no other choice but to send in his Alpha Team to Bravo's last known contact point.  Over the course of the investigation, team members Kevin Dooley, Forest Speyer, Richard Aiken, Joseph Frost, Kenneth Sullivan, and Edward Dewey were killed by the B.O.W.  Enrico Marini was shot and killed by Wesker when he discovered that Umbrella's plans included the execution of the S.T.A.R.S. Moments before Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine arrived in the Tyrant's chamber in the lab, Wesker injected himself with a strain of the T-Virus before getting impaled by the Tyrant itself.  This was so he can keep the data to himself and convince Umbrella that he had been killed.  With the efforts of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers and even Sergei Vladimir, prevented Wesker from being able to gain access to the virus, which made him leave empty handed and the Tyrant T-002 and the mansion destroyed.

Viral Outbreak

The return of four S.T.A.R.S. veterans plus their pilot Brad Vickers, this will be a serious problem for Umbrella to control the city.  Umbrella was able to slow down any efforts due to the mayor and Police Chief Brian Irons.  They did however plan to execute the remaining S.T.A.R.S. if they revealed that they were conducting unofficial investigations.  S.T.A.R.S. was dissolved and replaced with Raccoon S.W.A.T.  Chris Redfield left for Europe, Barry Burton went to hide his family in Canada and Rebecca Chambers left the city to continue her university studies on virology.  Meanwhile, Jill Valentine and Brad Vickers stayed behind to continue investigative research on Umbrella from inside Raccoon City. 

During the month of September in 1998, the T-Virus made its way into Raccoon City, mainly due to William Birkin allowing nearby Umbrella facilities to be contaminated to prevent them from stopping him handing over the experimental G-Virus to the U.S. military.  September 16, the Raccoon General Hospital had wards locked down to slow the spread of the t-Virus, which was understood by its local name as the "Cannibal Disease."

On September 22, 1998, William Birkin was attacked by the Umbrella Security Service led by HUNK because they wanted all samples of the G-Virus.  He was left for death, and the USS stole the case that had the G-Virus samples, unknown that Birkin still had one last sample left in his possession.  He injected himself with the virus, turning him into a large monster.  He flagged down the USS Alpha Team, killing or crippling all the agents except HUNK and breaking the virus capsules leading the virus into Victory Lake where rats became infected and entered the city's water supply.  Raccoon City was put under martial law but he US Department of Defense on September 24 when the infection turned many of the citizens into flesh eating zombies.   The United States Army, the Army National Guard, and the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service were sent to supplement the efforts of the ASD, the RPD, and the Raccoon City Fire Department in the evacuation of civilians.  Despite the efforts by these military groups, the virus infections faced no oppositions.  The U.S. Army and Army National Guard actually had the soldiers stationed in the outskirts of the city to prevent anyone discovering the government's deal with Birkin from coming out. On the night of September 29, Raccoon City was so overwhelmed with zombies and other B.O.W. that even the RPD was abandoned.

Following an urgent emergency meeting in Congress, they and the US president made a final controversial choice to destroy Raccoon City with a missile as a way to prevent the spread of infections beyond the city limits.  The operation was performed at daybreak on October 1.  The death toll surpassed over 100,000 people.  Shortly after that, the president resigned while dealing with harsh criticisms from the public.  The more the outbreak spread, the wider the quarantine was.  Some people left those, so they can loot anything necessary, causing confrontations against the authorities.

Whatever was remaining of the city and surrounding areas was under lockdowns to contain any surviving bio-weapons material.  The United States Army Corps erected a fence surrounding the area sealing off the city from anyone being able to get in or out.  

Legacy

The destruction of Raccoon City had global impacts.  No longer in their illegal activities and projects anymore, the Umbrella USA was banned by the US government for doing any kind of business operations within The United States.  Umbrella also was forced to pay families of victims compensation. Umbrella contested to these lawsuits, in what is known as the Raccoon Trials.  The US government played a role in the outbreak, but because of national security, they were denying the existence of B.O.W.  The actual evidence against Umbrella was contestable that the trials went into the winter of 2003, where Albert Wesker was able to provide data and research of Umbrella, as proof, making a guilty verdict.  The guilty verdict caused Umbrella to go bankrupt, while one of its founders, Spencer went into hiding to avoid the arrest warrant issued by both the United States and The Russian Federation.  The content of the data is classified and was kept from the public until 2004 at Terragrigia.

WilPharma and TRICELL and other chemical companies in the pharmaceutical industry faced backlashes when it was discovered Umbrella's bio-weapons research was indirectly aided by them through the purchase of chemicals. To avoid a financial collapse, the Federation of Pharmaceutical Companies provided prosecutors with additional evidence to be used against Umbrella after being offered amnesty. The Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (AKA: The BSAA) was founded to counteract any potential bioterror outbreaks following the fall of Umbrella.  In 2005, bioterrorist Curtis Miller, took part in bioterrorism in and around Harvardville Airport because he wanted revenge for the deaths of his wife and child in the Raccoon City disaster. Curtis was radicalized for former Umbrella employee Fredrick Downing now working for WilPharma as a means of faking his death and getting away with virus information.  WilPharma collapsed leading to a company purchase from TRICELL. 

Raccoon City arose from the ashes in 2013 when the new US President Adam Benford revealed to the public the US involvement of Umbrella.  However, the family instigated a bioterror attack in Tall Oaks on the same day as his speech so he can be silenced.  

In 2017, the survivors of Raccoon City and their descendants were noted by mass media news coverage and documentation to still face societal difficulties, including stigmas and discrimination within the United States due to 1998 viral outbreak infamy and its widespread ramifications.

Over twenty years later, Raccoon City became an international hub for manufacturing hub for bioweapons ran by The Connections, the shadow syndicates that moved in after the bombing of the city with support from US officials.  For years, their existence remained unknown to the public as quarantined exclusion zone remained largely restricted from outside access. However, in 2023, the North American branch of Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance became aware of ARK, an underground facility formerly belonged to Oswell E. Spencer and the rumored reason behind the true purpose of the sterilization operation. The last project that Spencer worked on, Elpis, was on every major bioterrorists, bioterror counter agencies and covert militaries around the world desire to obtain.

On February 5, 2023, the BSAA located ARK's location near the crater where the missile that destroyed the city.  They used the ruins of the RPD as a base of operations.  Their efforts were hampered by The Connections Zeno who safeguarded the facility until Elpis could be released which prevents ARK's destruction.  Eventually, the US government ordered the BSAA to stop deployment to Raccoon City.  Raccoon City became a testing grounds for B.O.W. such as Garmr, Titan Spinner, and T-501.  To buy some more time leading up to the release of Elpis, The Connections had the government extend the lockdowns until the year 2040 citing safety concerns.  The city still contains the original mummified zombies from years ago that survived by burying themselves beneath the grounds.  On October 10, 2026, Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft exposed The Connections presence and ARK's existence.  This had the government restart their investigations on Spencer and the BSAA to occupy the remnants of ARK for sterilization and investigation.

Economy

Because of the presence of Umbrella and the nearby Arklay Mountains in Raccoon City, the city was a mix of industry and tourism.  Umbrella established a chemical plant just east of the Circular River, occupying hundreds of citizens.  With Umbrella subsidiaries, they were able to employ about 40% of Raccoon City citizens.  Umbrella has a high reputation in the area, where they were able to provide heavy construction on sites such as The Raccoon General Hospital as Bright Raccoon 21.  Outside of Umbrella's control is Raccoon Dam at Victory Lake the reservoir for the city.  Boats used the river for transporting B.O.W. from end to end.  

When it comes to tourism, the St. Michael Clock Tower is in the center of the city, shown on postcards.  Somewhere in the city is Warren Stadium home to the football team, The Raccoon Sharks.  Raccoon Zoo opened up in the 1970s and remained popular with tourists and locals until the 1990s.  Mr. Raccoon is the city's mascot and a personal favorite of both locals and out of towners.  It acquired funding for new building projects such as a biodome, though this became the subject of controversy when the chairman was accused of engaging in the illegal buying and selling of orchids for the zoo.  In the outskirts of Raccoon City, the Arklay Mountains and Raccoon Forest was a poplar spot for hikers.  Income started coming in with the opening of Raccoon University just located right by the Circular River.

The city also had a strong presence in local media outlets.  The city housed several newspaper outlets such as Raccoon Times; Raccoon Today; The Dailey Raccoon, The Raccoon Press, and Raccoon Weekly, Raccoon Monthly and News Comet.  The Raccoon City Broadcasting Network provided local TV services providing both local, national and international news.  Raccoon Toons was a child's TV programming block which ran from 6:30 AM to noon every Saturday.  Ah, Saturday morning cartoons!

Raccoon City's transportation routes is what held both the industrial and tourism industries together in the city.  Interstate 419 ran from the east side of the city to the center.  A tram-way was constructed back in the 1960s to connect Raccoon City to Stoneville in the mountains.  Kite Bros Railway was constructed in 1969 as a subway providing additional transport.  By the 1990s the railway system would service tens of thousands of people to eight stations.  Due to the 1991 recession, the rail line had suffered.  By 1998, the railway was abandoned outside of commuting times.  Funding for the rail line was terrible since the economic downfall couldn't support structural repairs as the 1998 destruction of Raccoon City proved to be a derelict.

Geography

Raccoon City is encircled by the mountains of Arklay Mountains featuring the Raccoon Forest.  The city's northern sections were close to the wilderness, starting with Lynn Valley.  Several rivers flowed through the area: The Marble River; The Circular River; and the Aimes River.  Raccoon Forest wasn't devoid of human life there. Nearby villages of Stoneville, and Cedar are located in the area, and so does the Umbrella Chemical Plant and a hospital that had to shut down in 1993.

The city west of Circular River was the Uptown Of Raccoon City and covering the southern areas is the downtown Raccoon City and covering the north was Ennerdale Street and the Raccoon Police Department forming the border.  Nothing much of Raccoon City east of the river besides being the site of Raccoon University and to the north, the industrial zone home to Incineration Disposal Plant P-12A.

Locations

Hotels and Inns:

• Apple Inn
• Central Hotel
• Grady's Inn
• Rembrandt Hotel
• The Applegate Hotel

Attractions:

• Lambs Museum of Art
• Movie Theater
• St. Michael Clock Tower
• Raccoon Park
• Raccoon Zoo
• Warren Stadium

Businesses:

• Advanced Graphic Services
• Amagomihs
• Amiset
• Blue Mountain Storehouse
• Grimstone Building
• HairTime
• Illumine
• NF Building
• Willis Tower

Places of Authority:

• Douglas Prison
• Raccoon City Police Department (RPD)

Schools:

• Raccoon Elementary
• Raccoon Junior High
• Raccoon High School
• Raccoon University

Finance:

• Johnson National Bank

Government:

• Raccoon City Hall

Healthcare Facilities:

• Raccoon General Hospital
• Spencer Memorial Hospital

The Media:

• The Raccoon City Broadcasting Network
• The Raccoon Press

Public Transportation:

• Kite Bros. Railway
  • Blackthorn Station
  • Faust Avenue Station
  • Fox Park Station
  • Market Street Station
  • South Raccoon Street Station
  • St. Michael Clock Tower Station
  • Stoneville Station
  • Raccoon Central Station
  • Raccoon Station
  • Redstone Street Station
  • Rhodes Hill Station
  • Ridgewood Station
  • Warren Stadium Station
• Raccoon City Tram Network

Shops:

• Arukas
• Bar Black Jack
• Bicycle Shop
• Candy Store
• Carnegie Love
• Cafe Oasis
• Coffee Shop Sigourney
• Dairy Fresh
• Dairy Fresh Foods
• Eagle's Pet Shop
• Gallery
• Gun Shop Kendo
• Jack's Bar
• Knaok
• Larry's Book Shop
• L.E. Books
• Lower Flower Shop
• MacLeed's
• Public Market
• Raccoon Mall
• Redstone Pharmacy
• Rich Cloths
• Step 1 Mini-Mart
• STAGLA
• Stonex
• Sugi's Shop
• Toy Uncle

Restaurants:

• Burger Kong
• Elephant Restaurant
• Emmy's
• Jim's Crabs
• Kol
• Moon's Donuts
• MONMON
• Paul's
• Racco Bell
• Tony's Kitchen

Utilities:

• Raccoon City Dam At Victory Lake
• Raccoon Sewage System
• Raccoon Substation

Outside References

In the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis game, outside the theater on Main Street is a poster for Biohazard 4 showing a Resident Evil 2 zombie with the captions Biohazard 4.

There are two references to the Street Fighter games of Capcom (same game developers of Resident Evil).  One is the store, Arukas at the crash site at the start of the gameplay in the original Resident Evil 2,  Arukas spelled backwards is the same name as Sakura.  And the other is Eagle Pet Shop in Resident Evil 3, named after Eagle.

The city skyline from Resident Evil 2 Remake resembles the skyline of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

During Jill's narration, you can see North Street, which resembles Boston, Massachusetts.

In the real world TV series Robot Chicken, a skit shows Raccoon City with the characters from the Nintendo game Mario Kart taking detours to bad cities where Yoshi wound up eaten by zombies.

In a comic book, authored by Jhonen Vasquez, the main character is on a diner date with a man, who turns out to be a zombie that eats the waiter.

In the video game Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3, in Arcade Mode, the Marvel character ending of Rocket Raccoon visiting Raccoon City after hearing about it from Chris Redfield.  Unknown about the zombie outbreak, the character arrives and fights his way through hoards of zombies.

In the video game Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, at the shipwrecked Annabelle, at the second floor is a magazine article with the headline "16 years after the nightmare of Raccoon City and the survivors are still suffering." Also this same article can be found in the breakroom in Resident Evil 2 Remake. 

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