Dixfield, ME

Dixfield is a town in Oxford County where U.S. 2 follows the Webb River toward the Androscoggin. The town grew from the Holman Grant, made in 1789, with the first permanent families arriving in 1795; Dr. Elijah Dix later gave the place its name. Dixfield's motto, The Only One, comes from its claim to be the only town in the world with that name. The rivers shaped work as well as the map, first powering mills and now framing the downtown sawmill operated by Irving Forest Products. A small but telling piece of the town's travel history sits on U.S. 2: the Marigold Motel was listed in the Green Book as a place that welcomed Black travelers when many other lodging options did not. T.W. Kelly Middle School and Dirigo High School keep the town's school district local. Dixfield is a river-and-route town with a name, mill, and travel history that are unusually easy to trace.