Life On Lisbon Ridge

If you come to visit Lisbon Falls, Maine, you will find a small town with a very energetic history. It lies in a sort of bowl surrounded by ridges on all sides. The Native Americans found this secluded area when they came to fish in the river that runs through town. The name of the river is the Androscoggin, a Native American word for "place of many fishes." When you stand on the main thruway and look in the four directions of the compass, you will see high ridges enclosing the town. The ridge in the north is called Lisbon Ridge, where my wife grew up. It is known as the second-highest point of land in Androscoggin County. The townspeople comprise many diverse countries. People from Germany, Canada, Czechoslovakia came here to work in the mills--that we had three of. I am sure most of the families had their own adventures that were passed from generation to generation. Even I had a few that were eventful.