In the 1700s, people would hunt raccoons and eat raccoon meat (taste like chicken?). They used the raccoon skins to make clothing. Many wore “coonskin” caps.
In the 1920s, raccoon fur coats were in fashion and women wore fancy raccoon hats.
Raccoons are at least as smart as dogs and cats.
A raccoon can easily lift a dime out of a shirt pocket with its fingers.