PROSPEROUS YEARS

MEXICO HAD MANY MEN WHOSE EFFORTS WERE THE THREADS THAT BUILT THE TOWN FROM A SMALL FARMING SETTLEMENT ON THE RIVER'S EDGE TO THE EXPANDING TOWN OF MEXICO.  ONE SUCH MAN WAS NATHAN S. BAKER, ACTIVE IN POLITICS, A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL COMMISSION, A SELECTMAN, TOWN CLERK AND TOWN TREASURER.

LEWIS H. REED, A LUMBER MILL OWNER, BORN IN BYRON, IN 1890 BUILT THE BURCH-LONG LUMBER MILL IN ROXBURY, HIRING 15 MEN, AND THE COMPANY MADE SPOOL STOCK, DOWELS AND LONG LUMBER.  REED OWNED MUCH LAND IN RUMFORD, BUT SOLD THAT AROUND 1892.

MILOW MITCHELL, WHO INHERITED HIS FATHER'S FARM IN MEXICO, SERVED AS A SELECTMAN.  HIS WIFE, WHOM HE WED ON JUNE 13, 1893, WAS MISS OREA E. EDWARDS OF ROXBURY.

THE ABBOTT FAMILY, WHOSE ANCESTORS SOUGHT ASYLUM IN AMERICA FROM RELIGIOUS PROSECUTION IN ENGLAND, WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE SETTLEMENT INCLUDING RUMFORD AND DIXFIELD AS WELL AS MEXICO.  VICTOR ABBOTT PRACTICED MEDICINE IN MEXICO.  DOROTHY ABBOT MARRIED HENRY DURGIN OF MEXICO, WILLIAM M. ABBOTT MARRIED CAROLINE M. KIMBALL OF MEXICO.  IVORY ABBOTT MARRIED LUCINDA SMITH OF MEXICO. JAMES M. DOLLOFF MARRIED SARAH L. GLEASON OF MEXICO AND THEY KEPT A PUBLIC HOUSE IN RUMFORD CENTER.

WILLIAM W. BOLSTER OF PARIS MARRIED MARTHA HALL AND HIS SECOND WIFE WAS FLORENCE JOSEPHINE, DAUGHTER OF COL. LEWIS AND MARY STOCKBRIDGE REED OF MEXICO.

OTIS BAKER, CABINET MAKER, MARRIED MELINDA SILVER AND NATHAN ADAMS THE SIXTH, (THE ADAMS FAMILY WERE ON THE MAYFLOWER) MARRIED BETSEY POOR AND HIS SECOND WIFE WAS MRS. MARY BARTLETT.  ADAMS WAS A CABINET MAKER, TOO.

JOHN LUFKIN MARRIED PHEBE KIMBALL IN 1819 AND THEIR DAUGHTER, SARAH F., WAS BORN FEB. 12, 1834.  SHE MARRIED CHARLES E. KIMBALL OF MEXICO.  THUS THE GENERATIONS WERE BEING FORMED, THE LINK OF INTERMARRIAGES THAT BUILD THE FRAMEWORK OF A COMMUNITY.
 
SCANNING THE CANTON TELEPHONE IS READING THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN.  FOR EXAMPLE ON JAN. 31, 1882 CHARLES RANKIN HAD 75 MEN AND 25 TEAMS CUTTING AND HAULING SPRUCE ON THE SWIFT RIVER IN BYRON.  HE CUT AND HAULED 1 1/2 MILLION FEET AND PLANS WERE TO DOUBLE THAT IF THE SEASON CONTINUED.  THE LEWISTON STEAM MILL CO. WAS PUTTING IN A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND NEAR THE SAME PLACE AND GEORGE R. STAPLES, WITH A SMALL CREW, WAS GOING TO PUT IN THREE OR FOUR THOUSAND AT THE OLD GAMMON PLACE IN ROXBURY.  THE RANKIN SPRUCE WAS GOING TO THE CANTON STEAM MILLS CO.