Rumford Falls Times

07/24/2025

Photos from 2014...

07/22/2025

07/15/2025

Remember when the old Ridlonville Bridge
in Mexico was taken down in 1999?

Ridlonville was a village that thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, closely linked to the growth of the Oxford Paper Company in neighboring Rumford. Established by George Ridlon in 1894, it attracted a diverse population seeking work in the paper mill and became a bustling community with various businesses and amenities. However, Ridlonville was eventually absorbed into the town of Mexico.
Key aspects of Ridlonville's history:

Founding and Growth:
George Ridlon purchased land near the Oxford Paper Company in 1894, recognizing the economic opportunities presented by the mill's expansion. He built a hotel, stores, and housing to accommodate the influx of workers, including many immigrants.

Diverse Population:
Ridlonville attracted a mix of ethnic groups, including Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Scotch, Irish, and French families, all seeking work in the area.

Community Development:
The village boasted a variety of businesses, including hotels, general stores, a millinery, a fire department, sawmills, churches, schools, parks, doctors' offices, a golf course, social buildings, and garages.

Key Structures:
Ridlonville featured notable buildings like the Packard Rooming House (which included a grocery store and dress cutting school), the Howard Hall Opera House (used for recreation and later for other purposes), and the Goodwin Houses (rental units built by the Goodwin brothers).

Flood of 1936:
A devastating flood in 1936 caused significant damage, sweeping away the Ridlonville bridge and damaging numerous buildings.

Absorption into Mexico:
Despite its vibrant past, Ridlonville eventually became part of the town of Mexico.

Ridlonville Memorial Rock:
A rock with a plaque commemorating the "Rildonville Settlement 1894" was placed at the site of the former Hotel Ridlon in 2006, marking the historical significance of the area.

Ku Klux Klan Presence:
In the early 1920s, Ridlonville was the site of a Ku Klux Klan chapter, with evidence suggesting they built the Goodwill Hall.

07/05/2025

Beautiful day for Rumford's 4th of July celebration!...

06/27/2025

Photos from 2013...

06/24/2025

Photos from 2012...

06/17/2025

Photos from 2011...

06/13/2025

Photos from 2010...

06/13/2025

Words to MVHS Class of 2025 Class Song, "Unwritten"

by Songwriters: Danielle A. Brisebois / Natasha Anne Bedingfield / Wayne Steven Jr Rodrigues

I am unwritten
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes
But I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah

06/12/2025

Some old t-ball photos from 2009...

05/27/2025

Rumford, Mexico pay tribute on Memorial Day

RUMFORD — People in Rumford and Mexico paid tribute on Memorial Day to those who fell in battle defending our country, with ceremonies Monday in both communities.

Under warm, sunny skies, the long parade began from the American Legion and went across the bridge to the Rotary Memorial Green, where everyone gathered for the ceremony.

American Legion Post 24 Commander Ed Perry introduced the guest speaker, Severin Beliveau, who was born and grew up in Rumford. He is from a distinguished family of Maine lawyers and judges.

"Seventy-five years ago, at this very spot, I stood in the audience as a small boy and watched my father, deliver the Memorial Day address to Rumford and Mexico veterans," began Beliveau, a retired lawyer from Rangeley.

He said his father, Albert J. Beliveau Sr., served in France in World War I, was one of 500 Rumford men who served in that war, 26 of whom died overseas. Mexico and Rumford lost between 50 and 60 soldiers in World War II.

Beliveau said his father was one of the founding members of the American Legion Department of Maine, and of Napoleon Ouellette Post 24 of Rumford, becoming the first post commander in 1919.

He noted that Ouellette was the first Rumford man to die in combat in WWI. "His remains were returned to Rumford in 1922 to great honors. He is buried in St. John's Cemetery."
Beliveau said, "Under my father's leadership, Napoleon Ouellette Post in Rumford became the largest in Maine."

"If we honor the fallen today, we must also protect the living. We owe it to them and to people like my father and all veterans from this area. To say that we will not let your service be forgotten, and we will not let your sacrifice be used as a reason to balance the budget," he noted.

Beliveau said Memorial Day is not just about loss. It's also about legacy. "It reminds us of the enduring ideals of liberty, just and democracy that so many gave their lives and defend. It challenges each of us to be worthy of their sacrifice, not just in words but in the way we live as citizens, whether we serve in uniform, in our communities, or in our daily choices.
We honor the fallen best by striving to uphold the values they died for."

He said, "This Memorial Day, let's commit to the values that reflect the Androscoggin Valley. Let us remember Napoleon Ouellette. Let us ensure that Rumford continues to rise, not only with strong voices, but with a commitment to serve the public."

VFW Commander Hal Watson and Rumford American Legion Commander Ed Perry presented a wreath of remembrance here before the parade continued on to the Veterans Memorial Green in Mexico, where another wreath of remembrance was held.