CIVIL WAR

  THE CIVIL WAR LEFT ITS MARK ON MEXICO.  THE 17TH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY LEFT FROM OXFORD COUNTY TO FIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF VIRGINIA, INCLUDING FREDERICKSBURG, CHANCELLORVILLE AND GETTYSBURG.  MANY OF THE COMMUNITY'S FINEST YOUNG MEN WERE LOST IN THIS WAR, A LOSS THAT WAS TO BE FELT FOR GENERATIONS.
 
FOLLOWING THE WAR A GREAT TIDE OF EMIGRATION SWEPT THE COUNTRY.  MANY YOUNG MEN "WENT WEST", BUT MANY, ALSO CAME "UP RIVER" BECAUSE WILD LAND WAS EXEMPT FROM TAXATION AND A BOUNTY WAS OFFERED TO THOSE WHO WOULD SETTLE.  ROADS WERE CONSTRUCTED AT PUBLIC EXPENSE AND, IN SOME PLACES, A PERMANENT SETTLER WAS GRANTED A DEED FOR 100 ACRES UPON PAYING A FIVE DOLLAR LAND FEE.

AMONG PROMINENT BUSINESSMEN IN THE 1860'S WERE HENRY W. PARK AND SEWALL GOFF.  HENRY PARK, A REPUTABLE MEXICO MERCHANT, HAD SOLD OUT HIS BUSINESS TO SERVE AS AN ORDNANCE CLERK IN WASHINGTON, D.C. DURING THE CIVIL WAR. HE RETURNED TO MEXICO IN JULY, 1865, BOUGHT BACK HIS STORE AND BUILT A FLOURISHING BUSINESS. IN THE YEARS TO COME HE WAS TO SERVE THE TOWN IN MANY OFFICIAL CAPACITIES.  MARRIED TWICE, HIS FIRST WIFE WAS ELLEN R. PHELPS OF DIXFIELD, HIS SECOND WIFE ELLEN C. REED.

ANOTHER PROMINENT CITIZEN OF THOSE YEARS WAS SEWALL GOFF OF THE PIONEER GOFF FAMILY OF AUBURN FOR WHOM GOFF HILL AND JAMES ST. IN AUBURN ARE NAMED.  SEWALL GOFF PURCHASED 600 ACRES OF LAND ON SWIFT RIVER IN 1863, BUILT THE PROPERTY INTO THE LARGEST FARM IN THE AREA AND WAS THE LARGEST TAX PAYER.  FOR YEARS HE SERVED AS SELECTMAN.