LOCATION: In Oxford County, about 45 miles northwest of Portland, near Bridgton.

HISTORY: Early settlers came to the town after the government of Massachusetts (which Maine was then a part of) granted land in 1774 to the families of soldiers who had been involved in an expedition against the French. The first men to settle the town were from various Massachusetts towns, including Bolton, Harvard, Stow and Rowley.

SAWMILLS AND farming were the early mainstays of the economy, and later the town became a trading center and site of a large corn canning plant. The town's many lakes prompted the creation of inns and summer camps.

TODAY, THE TOWN is still heavily wooded and rural in character. Skiers traveling to the mountains on Route 35 see little in the way of commercialism. Some natives work family land, lumbering. Other year-round residents work in Bridgton or Norway, just a 20-minute drive each.

THE WORLD'S FAIR in North Waterford is a lot of fun, but slightly over-named. It's a small-town Maine fair with animals, food and games.

MELBY'S MARKET & EATERY, on Route 35 in North Waterford, is a landmark store and lunch counter, known for years as Tut's General Store. Located in an old three-story building, the old-fashioned and not-at-all glitzy place is a favorite with locals, summer residents and celebrities who travel through the area. Specialties include fresh baked pies, root beer floats and a buffalo burger (see below).

BEECH HILL FARM and Bison Ranch on Route 35 is a well-known attraction and at least one of two farms in town that raise buffalo or bison.

WATERFORD FLAT, at the junction of Routes 35 and 37, is a quiet and beautiful collection of homes and buildings (all white) built in the mid-1800s near Keoka Lake. The area was home of many of the mill owners and prosperous early residents.

THE ORNATE Lake House, a bed-and-breakfast facing the lovely village green in Waterford Flat, has been serving guests in one form or another since 1797. The building today is an elegant Greek Revival with a two-story front porch. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.