About Dixfield
LOCATED: In the mountains of northern Oxford County, on Route 2 between Rumford and Farmington, about 75 miles north of Portland.
HISTORY: The town was settled in the late 1700s when Col. Jonathan Holman, a Revolutionary War veteran from Sutton, Mass., led a group of 25 men in purchasing most of the land. Original settlers were farmers, but by the mid-1800s, mills began to spring up: a toothpick mill; shingle mill; a rake manufacturer; and several sawmills. Most of those mills are closed today.
THE TOWN WAS incorporated in 1803. It was named for Dr. Elijah Dix of Massachusetts, who said he would donate money for a library if the town was named in his honor. Dix never did pay for a library, but he eventually sent the townspeople a couple of boxes of medical textbooks - printed in German.
THE JOHN LUCAS TOWLE Antique Tool Museum, at 63 Main St., boasts a collection of some 1,000 antique tools, dating back to the 1700s. The tools were collected by a former owner of Towle Hardware, which still operates downtown. The museum is open 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays during the summer.
AS YOU DRIVE out of town on Route 2, there are signs saying "Thank you for visiting Dixfield, Ayuh!" The signs were slightly controversial among townfolk, since "ayuh" is more closely associated with Downeast Mainers than it is with folks up in the mountains.
ANNUAL OPEN MARKET DAY is Aug. 21 on Main Street. The event features local crafts and foods, as well as road races. One of the main attractions is a viewing of the Oxford County Bicentennial Quilt at the historical society.
Girls Soccer play-offs
Places to stay 
Retiring 