Oxford

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Field Overlooking Thompson Lake in Oxford (2012)

Routes 26 (the commercial strip) and 121 serve the community. See photos. The Oxford Casino is on Route 26 in the south of town. Oxford village, at the north end of Thompson Lake, hosts the town office, post office, and a small veterans memorial park. The Congregational Church was established in 1806 and is listed on the National Register. Though famous for auto racing at Oxford Plains Speedway, the nearby Androscoggin River passes several sizable ponds and Thompson Lake abuts the main village.

Outdoor Recreation

RecreationLeave a comment
Rafting near The Forks (2004)

in Maine is a matter of picking the freely available natural resources: streams and lakes for canoeing, nature preserves and mountains for hiking, rivers for rafting on the Penobscot River’s West Branch and the Magalloway River, forests and parks for camping, among the many non-motorized options. Not to mention hunting and fishing opportunities. The Appalachian…

Public Reserved Lands

Camping, Ecology, Nature Preserves, Recreation, State Agencies, TownshipsLeave a comment
Richardson Pond in Adamstown Township from Richardson Pond Road in Lincoln Plantation (2018)

Richardson Pond in Adamstown Township from Richardson Pond Road in Lincoln Plantation (2018)   History “Maine’s “Public Reserved Lands” have a unique history. Separate from the state park system and Baxter State Park, and from more recent purchases under the “Land for Maine’s Future” program, these lands have their origin in the “public lots” that…

Norway

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
One of Several Houses of interesting design in Norway (2003)

Norway-South Paris is a community of two adjoining towns serving as a retail center for southern Oxford County. It includes a commercial strip with the usual array of auto dealerships and fast food. Pennesseewassee Lake, the largest of several in the town, abuts the main village and contributes mightily to local recreational opportunities. A clerical “correction” of the originally proposed “Norage,” the Indian word for falls, resulted in the name Norway.

Newry

Canoe Trips, Cities & Towns, RiversLeave a comment

Built in 1872, the Sunday River Bridge, called “he most painted and photographed covered bridge in the state,” crosses the river of the same name. See photos. The Sunday River Ski Resort is located here. On Maine Route 26, Newry is the gateway to the hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, of Grafton Township. Step Falls Preserve, the first preserve of the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, has 24 acres of cascades and pools.

Mining

Economy, Industrial FacilitiesLeave a comment
Tourmaline from Mt. Mica Quarry

Mining has been significant part of the Maine economy at different times in different places, thanks to its geologic composition. Granite, slate, and gem extraction have been important local industries at certain points in the state’s history. The Mt. Mica mine in Paris, Maine was the site in 1820 where amateur naturalists Elijah Hamlin and…

Mexico

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Stack of Paper Mill in Rumford near the Androscoggin River from the Mexico-Rumford Bridge (2013)

The town, across the Swift River and the Androscoggin River from Rumford, is home to many workers in the Rumford paper mill. See photos. In the 1960’s, the mill employed over 3,000 people; by 2009 it employed less than 600. The crash in this and other manufacturing has contributed to the sharp population decline Mexico has experienced since 1970.

Magalloway Plantation

Cities & Towns1 Comment
Signs at the entrance to Fish Pond Road in Lincoln Plantation

Named for the Malecite Indian word for “caribou,” it is located on the New Hampshire border, with substantial frontage on Umbagog Lake and on Upper and Lower Lower Richardson Lakes. A section of Maine Public Reserved Land sits just north of the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge on that lake’s Sunday Cove. The plantation is accessible from Maine Route 16 in Lincoln Plantation.

Lovell

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Fall Mountain View in North Lovell on Route 5 (2004)

The town is named for John Lovell (or Lovewell), the hero of the Battle of Lovewell’s Pond in 1725, in which he was killed but the remaining Abenaki people abandoned the area. See photos. One of the lodges at Kezar Lake was owned by stage and screen star Rudy Vallee. Center Lovell, in the shadow of Sabattus Mountain, is the primary village, located on the shore of Middle Bay.

Lincoln Plantation

Cities & Towns2 Comments

In the 19th century, it was a magnet for summer visitors to Parmachene Lake, a hunting and fishing resort. See photos. The southern end of Aziscohos Lake offers campsites and fishing in the area known as Wilsons Mills. The Aziscohos Dam spills water into the Magalloway River. A 93-foot Covered Bridge, built in 1901 has been closed to traffic since 1985.

Hiram

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Routes 5/13 entering Hiram Village from the North (2010)

The villages of Hiram and East Hiram are divided by the Saco River. Nearby Mount Cutler sports a hiking trail; a chain of ponds hugs the western border above South Hiram. Raymond Cotton, a storekeeper and author, made many home movies. See photos & 1938 video on blueberry farming. The community buildings (churches, library, grange, museum) are within walking distance in Hiram village.

Hebron

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Hebron Academy (2003)

Hebron Academy is a private school established in 1804 by Revolutionary War veteran William Barrows. Maine U.S. Representative Stanley Tupper graduated from the Academy. See photos. The growing community has more than doubled its population since 1980. It lies within easy commuting distance northwest of the Lewiston-Auburn area.

Hartford

Cities & TownsLeave a comment

Lake Anasagunticook on Main Street (Route 140) in northern Hartford is surrounded by seasonal and year-round houses. See photos. Church Street, an extension of Staples Hill Road in Canton, is a rural road with farms, the old school and community church, with access to the southern shore of the Lake. The area was first settled by Edmund Irish in 1788. The J&) Irish Museum is on Route 140.

Hanover

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Kiosk at the River, noting the Androscoggin River Trail, by the Mahoosuc Land Trust (2014)

Hanover is experiencing home and vacation property development at a more rapid pace. The small town is receiving more interest within the greater area as development in neighboring larger towns is spreading. As with many Maine communities, the number of full-time residents is declining as non-resident vacation homes increase.

Greenwood

Cities & TownsLeave a comment

Located just east of Bethel on Maine Route 26, the Village of Locke Mills in the town of Greenwood lies on the shore of Round Pond which is linked to nearby North Pond and South Pond. One early resident was L. L. Bean, who was born here. The town has shown consistent, moderate population growth over the past forty years.

Gilead

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
Sign: Welcome to The Town of Gilead (2013)

the Androscoggin River splits Gilead down the middle from west to east, flowing between two mountain ranges. See photos. Only one bridge crosses at the village. In 1973 the U.S. EPA was documenting pollution in the river. A brief canoe trip makes about five of its six miles through Gilead to West Bethel, with spectacular views of the Presidential Range.

Fryeburg

Cities & TownsLeave a comment
White Mountains in New Hampshire across a Field in Fryeburg on Route 113 (2013)

a town in Oxford County, incorporated in 1777 on the site of an Indian settlement known as Pequawket. See photos. Daniel Webster was a teacher at Fryeburg Academy in 1802. Native American Molly Ockett was born about 1740 into the Pigwacket tribe. The Battle of Lovewell’s Pond was one long day in 1725, during which the leader of the white volunteers, Captain Lovewell, was slain along with the Indian leader Pangus.

Dixfield

Cities & Towns, Society1 Comment
Webb River entering the Androscoggin in Dixfield Village (2013)

Dr. Elijah Dix bought the town (and Dixmont); his granddaughter was social reformer Dorothy Dix. See video and photos. Inventor Leonard Norcross was a resident in the early 19th century. The town town in Oxford County incorporated in 1803.

Denmark

Cities & Towns2 Comments
Moose Pond in Denmark (2012)

Pleasant Mountain rises 2,006 feet among adjoining ridges and peaks. See photos. A hiking trail offers access and views of the surrounding countryside and of Moose Pond. Settled 1788 and incorporated 1807 in Oxford County, the town’s western line is the Saco River.