This is a BIG day for Asa’s World Tour of Maine! Sure stopping in Rumford, Maine is a little detour off our itinerary to visit towns in Maine named after countries and famous international cities. Although we’re not that far off because some say it was named after Rumford in Scotland, but others argue it was named for the inventor, Count Rumford. Either way, we couldn’t miss this opportunity to have not one but two BIG celebrities join us. Let’s hear a thunderous round of applause for Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox!
Asa: Wow Paul, this is truly an honor to meet you up close and personal. You tower over a lovely park!
Chuck Billy: Yes, after traveling all over the river valley of the western mountains of Maine, he and Babe were captivated by the beauty of the Pennacook Falls, and decided to make their home here. There is a trail of oversized Adirondack chairs in neighboring towns to show where else Paul Bunyan visited on his travels as a lumberjack.
Asa: Is it true, these are the tallest falls east of Niagara?
Chuck Billy: Yes, that’s no tall tale! The Androscoggin River flows through the town of Rumford and features a series of spectacular waterfalls. Together they have a total drop of 176 feet making it the highest drop east of the Niagara Falls.
Chuck Billy: Paul isn’t the first to be captivated by the beauty of this area. The Abenaki visited the area to hunt and fish, especially salmon.
Chuck Billy: To the left of the park you can see Rumford Falls Hydro. A hydroelectric dam has been generating energy here since 1918. Today the Rumford Fall Hydro project provides over 291,000-megawatt-hours of renewable energy generation. That’s enough to power approximately 35,000 homes with electricity for nearly one year! Please be careful when visiting this park. The water conditions can change quickly without warning.
Asa: No wonder Babe looks a little worried standing here. He wants all of the visitors who come to the Rumford Information Center on 6 Bridge Street at the foot of the falls to be safe. He told me that originally he stood about a half mile from here in front of a pharmacy. But Paul missed him, so in 2009 Babe moved to the visitor center to keep him company. I guess Paul can now say…”I’ve got you, Babe.”
Chuck Billy: Asa, how many times must I tell you, it is impolite to stare…and make bad jokes? Now let’s get moving, we have a tour to continue!
Hope you enjoyed our visit to Rumford, Maine. Tomorrow we are going to rock you with another interesting stop on Asa’s World tour of Maine!
