HISTORY OF SILENT HILL A town that possesses a mysterious power, Silent Hill. Using facts introduced in the games as a foundation, let's delve into the history of this town. year in American history relevance to Silent Hill ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- before 16th c. * Native Americans conduct rituals here. This land is valued as a sacred place in Native American religion (see: folklore) around 1607 * England begins colonizing North America late 1600s * settlers begin to come to Silent Hill 1692 * Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts early 1700s * a mysterious epidemic breaks out, and the town is abandoned 1776 * U.S. declaration of independence 1789 * first presidential inauguration of George Washington around 1810 * civil war breaks out * the town is resettled as a penal colony. Silent Hill Prison is constructed (see: prison) Brookhaven Hospital is constructed in response to the outbreak of an epidemic (see: epidemic) 1820 * Maine becomes a state * Allen Smith paints "waterfront landscape" 1830 * beginning of forced removal policy for Native Americans around 1840 * Silent Hill Prison closes around 1850 * A coal field is discovered and Wiltse coal mine opens, which leads to the revitalization of the town 1861 * outbreak of the * a man called Chester and his American Civil War son both participate in the war (see: the Civil War) 1862 * Toluca prison camp is constructed for POWs 1865 * culmination of the Civil War 1866 * the prison camp is converted into Toluca Prison around 1890 * end of Native Americans' * at this time people everywhere organized resistance in the town mysteriously disappear one after the other early 1900s * Toluca Prison closes and Silent Hill becomes a sight- seeing area Nov. 1918 * a sightseeing ship called the Little Baroness goes missing 1939 * strange events take place at Toluca Lake (see: Toluca Lake) 19XX * the mayor of Silent Hill dies suddenly, and one after the other the staff at a development group die accidental deaths folklore Sacred ground where Native Americans conducted mysterious rituals Before settlers came from Europe, Silent Hill was a holy place. Even then, the land seemed to possess a mysterious power. IMAGE: the memo titled "Lost Memories" They revered the town as "The Place of the Silenced Spirits." However, they were driven away by settlers and had to abandon the town. ==== prison After the spread of an epidemic, resettling of the town as a penal colony begins Many people lost their lives on this abominable soil. Consequently, the town was used at first as a penal colony. It was at this time that it was given the name "Silent Hill." IMAGE: James in the Historical Society After the closing of the prison, the Historical Society was built on its former site. It conveys a sense of the town's history. ==== epidemic Once more, the threat of a plague steadily wraps the town in darkness The town was stricken by an epidemic. It may be that because of the unforeseen deaths of the town's population, as well as the thoughts and feelings of the prisoners, the original power that the town held was gradually distorted. IMAGE: the front doors of the hospital The current incarnation of Brookhaven Hospital has existed since it became large-scale in the late 1800s. ==== the Civil War The town is drawn into the Civil War that divided the nation in two The Civil War occurred in 1861. The stone statue by the lake is a memorial to Patrick Chester, a soldier who fought in the war at this time. IMAGE: James examines the statue in the park Although the conflict was originally born from political opposition, it was distorted by future generations into an issue concerning the birth of the religious cult. (note: Whether the word used here, "suuhai," means "cult" or "worship" depends entirely on context and the context here doesn't seem to be clear enough to rule out the possibility that this sentence could also mean something like, "...it was distorted by future generations into an issue concerning religious worship.") ==== Toluca Lake After becoming a sightseeing area, a series of misfortunes befall the town With the closing of Wiltse coal mine came the attempted reinvention of the town as a tourist attraction. However, due to a succession of boating accidents the town gained a poor reputation as a sightseeing area. IMAGE: a rowboat is barely visible through the fog on the lake The famous Toluca Lake is a place that overflows with atmosphere. It is known as an ominous lake that has become completely shrouded in a pervasive mist. (note: Although the Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865, the dates for its outbreak are listed as both 1861 and around 1810 so I can only assume that this is a typo. The earlier date is probably meant to indicate the War of 1812.) back