Western Maine Foothills Region

Text by Irene Hutchinson
Images contributed by Mexico Historical Society

When George Ridlon arrived in 1894 and realized the economic possibilities of the Oxford Paper Company bringing jobs to the area, he purchased a large tract of land that became known as Ridlonville. The Ridlonville line started at the Congregational Church and extended along the Androscoggin River to beyond the Farrington Cemetery to Duntile Street.

Ridlon built a hotel on this land, which soon housed a post office, store, and many houses to accomodate the influx of Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Scotch, irish, and French families migrating to town in search of work. Ridlonville became prosperous and was comprised of hotels, general stores, milinery stores, fire department, sawmills, churches, schools, parks, doctors, golf course, social buildings, and garages.

The Central School, built in 1894, was burned Christmas eve of 1906 and was rebuilt in 1907. In 1911 the name was changed to Abbott School in honor of Elizabeth Abbott who had donated the land. The bell from the Central School is now at the Mexico Historical Society Museum.

Many streets and buildings were named after the early settlers including Howard Hall, Goodwin cottages, Day Hill, Richards Avenue, Wills Block, Packard Block, to name a few.

Ridlonville was a good place to live and raise children. Children were safe to play anywhere, sliding down the streets in winter, exploring the surrounding woods, and playing in the brook in summer.

After the Depression things began to look up. Then the Big Flood in 1936 came along and wiped out the Ridlonville Bridge. Many homes and businesses along the Androscoggin were destroyed, some never to be rebuilt. On September 21, 1938, a hurricane with heavy rains and high winds caused considerable damage on Granite street.

As Maine developed in the 40's and 50's Ridlonville lost many businesses to Rumford. Social activities also moved across the river. The end of an era was slowly approaching,

Ridlonville eventually was melded into Mexico. Those that were born and brought up there still cling to the memories of those glorious years when Ridlonville was the center of their universe; the newer generations do not know it ever existed.

Sources

Remembering Ridlonville, Beverly Melanson

Rumford Falls Times Society Dedicates Ridlonville Rock by Bruce Farrin