Kezar Falls, Maine facts for kids

Kezar Falls is a small village. It's located on the Ossipee River in the town of Porter. This town is in Oxford County, Maine, in the United States.

The Story of Kezar Falls

A long time ago, in the 1700s, a settler named George Kezar lived in this area. People told many stories about his amazing hunting skills. These stories are called local folklore.

One story says George Kezar fought a bear with his bare hands and won! Another tale says he made a group of wolves run away towards Canada. He supposedly did this by putting a bell around one wolf's neck.

Even though George Kezar and his family didn't live in the village itself, he built a simple bridge. It was a footbridge made of rocks across the Ossipee River. Because of this bridge, the nearby waterfalls were named Kezar Falls. The village that grew up around these falls also took the name Kezar Falls.

Water Power and Mills

The waterfalls at Kezar Falls were very useful. They provided a lot of water power. This power was used to run machines in woolen mills. These mills made cloth from wool. The water power also helped create electricity for the village.

How Kezar Falls Became a Corporation

Kezar Falls officially became a "Village Corporation." This means it was given special powers by the state government. The Maine State Legislature, which is like the state's law-making body, made it official. It was named "Porter Kezar Falls Village Corporation in the Town of Porter."

Later, in 1913, a part of another town called Hiram, Maine, was added to the Kezar Falls Corporation. This made the corporation's area bigger.

Two Kezar Falls Corporations

For a while, there were actually two Kezar Falls Village Corporations. One was in Porter, and the other was across the Ossipee River in Parsonsfield. Parsonsfield is in York County.

However, the Parsonsfield Kezar Falls Village Corporation was officially ended. This happened in 1975. The 107th Legislature of Maine made the decision. The people of Parsonsfield also agreed at their town meeting.