1. Locations

River City

City

Nestled into the curve of the gently meandering Wildcat River, River City looks like a thousand other small towns. It was founded in 1842, growing up from what was originally a popular spot along the river for fur traders.

Most of River City lies northwest of the nearby river, spreading out to the historic Town Square that seems plucked out of yesteryear. To the southwest, perched on a bluff, is Pill Hill. Old mansions and older money fill this ritzy neighborhood. To the east are the seemingly endless, cookie-cutter streets of the Green Hills housing development.

On the southeast side of the river, beyond the steel-arched Montgomery Bridge, is an industrial sprawl centered around the labyrinthine Union Chemical Plant. The huge plant is surrounded by the rusted homes and peeling paint of the Lawnwood neighborhood. Outside of River City, farmers' fields stretch for miles and miles in all directions.

River City was founded in the mid-19th century and thrived on river trade. It expanded several times, clearcutting the forests that once grew here, and eventually crossing the river into what's now the Lawnwood neighborhood.

The city fell on hard times during the Great Depression, but managed to attract several major businesses — including the Union Chemical Plant — during the 1950s. These new industries brought in a lot of new people, leading to the expansion of Lawnwood and ground breaking in the Green Hills housing development. With these manufacturing jobs now beginning to dry up in the 21st century, River City has managed to fill the gap with the expansion of Cliffside Hospital and a light tourism industry, but the whole city still feels suspended between the past and the future.