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Bridge over Swift River, 1901

Contributed by Mexico Historical Society
MMN Item 79400 Item Details
Bridge over Swift River, 1901
MMN Item 79400 Zoom

Description

This postcard shows the Red Bridge that spans the Swift River connecting Mexico to Rumford, as it looked in 1901.

The Androscoggin River forms Mexico's southern boundary with Rumford and the smaller Swift River more or less follows its western boundary with that town. Mexico's downtown is located on land formed by the northeast corner of the right-angle junction of the two rivers. These low lying riverbanks in Mexico have flooded many times, including 1936, 1953 and 1987. The Red Bridge replaced the Porter Covered Bridge which was located further upstream and was destroyed in November of 1900 in an ice tornado. In 1961, the Red Bridge was rebuilt and the high steel framework was replaced by more modern masonry.

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