MEXICO – The Mexico area will have a designated horseback rider to carry the county’s charter in May, and the local post office will create a special stamp cancellation to mark the occasion.

Oxford County celebrates its 200th birthday in May with a variety of planned events, including the carrying of the county’s charter from Boston to the Paris courthouse. From there, several towns will have their own designated horseback riders to carry the document to their towns.

For the Mexico/Rumford area, that day is May 24.

Louise Arsenault, chairwoman of the Citizens Advisory Board, said Christine Murphy is expected to pick up the document and carry it to the Mexico Recreation Park, where a variety of activities will take place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

She said fourth- and fifth-grade students will design a stamp cancellation to commemorate the occasion.

Students are also playing a big part in the day’s events.

Planned so far is the writing of a letter of apology to local Indians which will be presented on May 24, foods representative from the early 19th century, and a variety of music from the last century.

Oxford County was incorporated as the seventh county in the section of Massachusetts known as Maine on March 4, 1805. Maine became its own state in 1820.