USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume II > Part 18
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
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ERVIS CHENEY was born in the State of Connecticut, December 5, 1804. His father, Joseph Cheney, was born (probably) in Connecticut, March 21, 1762, and married Celia Tyler by whom he had eleven children, Jervis being the ninth child. When Jervis Cheney was quite young his parents moved
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
to Auburn, N. Y., where Joseph Cheney died, January 10, 1831, and his wife, Celia Cheney, died March 3, 1823. Jervis Cheney was brought up a farmer, and owned a small farm in Williamson, Wayne county, N. Y., where he resided until the spring of 1836, when he came to Michigan, arriving in Ogden, this county, in May of that year. He immediately took up some land from the gov- ernment and cleared it, but subsequently sold it and purchased a larger farm on section 7, where he resided until 1856, and pur- chased a small homestead in Madison, just south of Adrian city limits. He sold his farm in Ogden in 1859. He resided in Madison until his death, which occurred June 16, 1863. He served as jus- tice of the peace in Ogden for ten years, and also served one year as supervisor. He was county superintendent of the poor for six years. He was a prominent man in his township and also in the county, and enjoyed the confidence and respect of the entire com- munity. He was a prompt, active, honorable and true man, with high aspirations and true and noble instincts. His life was an ac- tive one, fraught with hard labor and constant striving to improve his condition temporally and spiritually. All of the old inhabi- tants of the county were his friends, and prized his judgment and advice in all matters of grave importance to the community. He died in the prime of his manhood and usefulness, and was mourn- ed by all classes. March 30, 1825, Jervis Cheney married Miss Sarah Smith, daughter of Daniel H. and Hepsey Smith, of De- Ruyter, Madison county, N. Y., by whom he had one daughter, Julia, who died in infancy. Mrs. Sarah Cheney was born in Hud- son, N. Y., September 26, 1806, and came to Michigan with her husband in 1836. Her father died when she was about two months old, and she knows nothing of his history. Her mother was born November, 17, 1780, and died in Fairfield, this county, September 4, 1847. Mrs. Cheney still survives her husband, and resides in Adrian, in the enjoyment of good health of body and mind.
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ILAS ALDRICH was born in Wallingford, Rutland coun- ty, Vermont, May 12, 1824. His father, Welcome Aldrich, was born in Richmond, New Hampshire, December 28, 1796. He resided there until 1806, when his parents, Silas and Mehita- (21)
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
bel Aldrich, moved to Wallingford, Rutland county, Vt., where they purchased a farm. Welcome lived in Wallingford, where he owned a farm until the spring of 1835, when he sold out and came to Michigan. He drove his team as far as Buffalo, where he took passage on board the Daniel Webster and came to Detroit. From there he drove through to Adrian, arriving there the 20th day of June, with only $25 in money, $23 of which he paid for a barrel of pork, which proved to be half hogs heads. He rented some land on Wolf Creek, where he lived until March, 1836, when he traded his team and wagon for 80 acres of land on sections 30 in Rome, and 25 in Rollin. He then went to work "by hand " to build a log house, clear his land and make himself a home. That spring he chopped over three acres, cleared it up and planted it to corn and potatoes. During the fall of 1835 he bought a cow, which choked to death by getting a potato in its throat. He was unable to buy another for nearly two years. In the fall of 1836 he got in nine acres of wheat, which turned out well, but after it was harvested and in the shock, it commenced to rain, and contin- ued until it sprouted. This was a great blow to the family, for they were all elated with the prospect, and were fully prepared to enjoy it, for the previous season had been a severe one for them, having subsisted a week on potatoes and salt. In the winter of 1837-38 he ran in debt for a yoke of oxen, and since that time, by constant toil and perseverance he has succeeded in making a com- fortable and good home. His family consisted of six children, three sons and three daughters, five of whom are now living, and reside in this county. His experience here was perhaps no more onerous and severe than many others, who came into the woods without means, but his hope, courage and faith in the future, with a good constitution and a cheerful disposition, carried him through to victory, where others failed, because they were discouraged and abandoned what little they had accomplished and left the country. He still lives, in his 84th year, to enjoy the fruits of his early la- bors, and witness the great changes that have taken place in this county, during the past forty-five years. February 15, 1815, Wel- come Aldrich married Phebe Doty, daughter of Isaac and Lucin- da Doty, of Wallingford, Vermont, by whom he had six children, Silas being the fourth child, and oldest son. Mrs. Phebe Aldrich was born in Wallingford, Vt., September 30, 1798, and died in Rome, this county, July 3, 1876. Silas Aldrich came to Michigan with his parents in 1835, and has resided in Lenawee county ever since. He was brought up a farmer and lived with his parents in Rome until after he was 20 years old, when he was married, and purchased a farm on section 30, adjoining his father's homestead,
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
where he now resides. He built all the buildings, and has made nearly all the improvements on his farm. He knows all about pi- oneer life, having seen it in childhood, boyhood and manhood. He has been to school in the log school house with seats made of slabs, with the legs sticking through, which he says were hard things to sit upon. He has often been hungry when his mother was unable to give him anything to eat, and worked hard and long in clearing up the land, with the shadow of a bright future before him, which he thinks he has at last partly realized, and is now en- joying. September 27, 1844, Silas Aldrich married Lucy Roberts, daughter of Philip and Phebe Roberts, of Chatham, Columbia Co., N. Y., by whom he had four children, as follows: Philip W., born in Rome, October 16, 1845, now a farmer of Rome; Phebe R., born same place, August 19, 1847, now the wife of H. P.
Keith, of Toledo, Ohio; Silas L., born same place, January 24, 1849, a farmer of Rome; Melissa C., born same place, May 31, 1851, died November 20, 1858. Mrs. Lucy Aldrich was born in Chatham, Columbia county, N. Y., July 9, 1821, and died in Rome, this county, March 6, 1855. Mr. Aldrich was again mar- ried, to his wife's sister, Charity, May 8, 1856. He has had no children by the second marriage. Mrs. Charity Aldrich was born in Chatham, January 2, 1816. Her father, Philip Roberts, was born in Oswego, Putnam county, N. Y., March 4, 1768, and moved to Columbia county with his parents in 1777, where he died November 1, 1855. Her mother was Phebe Moon, daughter of John and Ruth Moon, who was married to Philip Roberts in Stephentown, Rensselaer county, N. Y., November 26, 1794. Phebe Roberts was born in Stephentown, July 26, 1774, and died in Chatham, July 17, 1832.
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ORGANZA ALDRICH was born in the State of Ver- mont, 5th month, 16th, 1808, and moved when he was a child, with his parents, to Perinton, Monroe county, N. Y. His father, Chad Aldrich, was born in Massachusetts, February 12, 1765, learned the carpenter's trade, and it is said built the first frame house in Rochester, N. Y. He married Miss Sally Rock- wood, by whom he had ten children, Morganza being the seventh
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son. He died in Perinton, Monroe county, N. Y., April 16, 1816. Chad Aldrich was the son of Stephen Aldrich; Stephen was the son of John, John was the son of Jacob, and Jacob was the son of George, who came from Derbyshire, England, to America, in 1631, and settled in Massachusetts, from whom it is supposed all the Al- drich's in the United States have descended, as there is no account of any others coming from the old countries. Morganza Aldrich was brought up a farmer, and was left an orphan when he was quite young. His younger days were fraught with hardships and privations. He worked by the month on farms until 1834. When he was about ten years old he became a member of the Society of Friends, by request of his mother, and ever after adhered to that faith. In the spring of 1834 he came to Michigan, and settled on section 3, in Fairfield, where he purchased a farm of W. L. Car- penter. The land was situated on the border of the "openings," and by changing work with Orry Ferguson, he soon got a clearing and a start. He lived on this farm, cleared it up and made a desir- able home, until his death, which occurred 4th month, 17th, 1861. First month, 31st, 1833, Morganza Aldrich married at Friend's meeting, in Farmington, Ontario county, N. Y., Chloe M. Baker, daughter of David and Mary Baker, of Macedon, Wayne county, by whom he had four children, as follows: Anson H., born in Fairfield, 1st month, 8th, 1837, a farmer on the old homestead in Fairfield; Mary J., born in the same place, 12th month, 26th, 1838, now the wife of George C. Phillips, of Armada, Macomb county, Mich .; Sarah A., born in the same place, 10th month, 2d, 1841, now the wife of Orrin D. Dennison, of Adrian; Thomas E., born in the same place, 5th month, 14th, 1849, who grew to be a most estimable young man, kind, generous and honorable, a great comfort to his widowed mother, and the family. He died 10th month, 26th, 1873. Mrs. Chloe M. Aldrich was born 3d month, 18th, 1810, in Palmyra, (now Macedon) Wayne county, N. Y., and came to Michigan with her husband in 1834. Previous to her marriage she had learned the tailor's trade, and after her settlement here, her husband being poor, she resorted to her trade and fur- nished the family with groceries, provisions, clothing, and even paid the taxes, while her husband was exhausting all his energies in clearing the farm and subduing the soil. Her father, David Ba- ker, was born in Adams, Massachusetts, 4th month, 26th, 1779, and went to Western New York when he was young, and settled in Macedon, Wayne county. In the spring of 1833 he came to Michigan and purchased a farm on section 24, in Adrian, where he resided until his death, which occurred 11th month, 1st, 1844. His father's name was David Baker, and his mother's name was Peace
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Chase, daughter of Stephen and Esther (Buffington) Chase. He married Mary Sherman, daughter of Levi Sherman and Abigail Sprague, 7th month, 1804, by whom he had four children, Mrs. Morganza Aldrich being the third child and second daughter. Mrs. Mary Baker died in Macedon, 5th month, 11th, 1813. She was born in Danby, Rutland county, Vermont, 7th month, 21st, 1781.
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ARREN PRENTISS was born in Vermillion, Huron (now Erie) county, Ohio, September 16, 1823. He lived in Vermillion with the exception of about four years, dur- . ing which time his parents lived in Talmadge, until February, 1854, when he came to Michigan and purchased a farm in the town of Fairfield, of Gardner Mason, on section 12. He resided there about twelve years, and in the spring of 1866 he sold to Levi Arnold, and since that time has lived on section 6, in Ogden, where he now resides. In 1864 he purchased forty acres of land on section 8, in Ogden, but sold it in 1871. He was brought up a farmer, and has always followed that avocation. During his resi- dence in Ohio, and after the death of his parents, he purchased the old homestead and lived upon it until he came to Michigan. He has never been an office seeker or an office holder, but has paid his attention to his own business. Warren Prentiss' father, James Prentiss, was a native of Vermont, and was born June 24, 1792, and went to Huron county, Ohio, when he was a young man, and settled. March 1, 1816, James Prentiss was married to Betsey Brooks, daughter of Jonathan and Betsey Brooks, by whom he had seven children, Warren being the fourth child and second son. Mrs. Betsey Prentiss was born in the State of New York, Decem- ber 10, 1796, and died in Vermillion, Ohio, August 16, 1845. James Prentiss died in the same place, April 19, 1839. He was a prominent man in the township, and held the office of justice of the peace for several years. He was a pioneer of Vermillion, and located government land, when he first commenced there. January 2, 1851, Warren Prentiss married Miss Mary Goodsell, daughter of Zalmon L. and Lucy Goodsell, of Salem (now Brockton), Chau- tauqua county, N. Y., by whom he has had four children, as fol-
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lows: Lucy Amelia, born in Vermillion, Ohio, September 10, 1854, now the wife of J. C. Pierce, of Fairfield; James Z., born in Fairfield, this county, April 7, 1858, now station agent and ope- rator at Jasper, in Fairfield; two children died in infancy. Mrs. Mary Prentiss was born in Hillsdale, Columbia county, N. Y., February 8, 1821. Her father, Zalmon L. Goodsell, was born in Hillsdale, May 22, 1794, and died April 6, 1878. He was a com- petent and expert mechanic, and followed ship building in New York for several years. He constructed the first threshing machine that ever operated in Columbia county, N. Y. He also followed house building and general carpentering. February 16, 1813, Zalmon L. Goodsell married Miss Lucy Cowles, of Hartford, Conn., by whom he had nine children, Mrs. Prentiss being the third child and oldest daughter. Mrs. Lucy Goodsell was born in Hartford, Conn., in 1793, and died in Portland, Chautauqua county, N. Y., May 10, 1843.
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ELSON SMITH was born in Macedon, Wayne county, N. Y., March 21, 1815. His father, Ezekiel Smith, lived in Macedon until 1823, when he moved with his family to Chautauqua county, where he purchased a farm from the Holland Land company. Nelson Smith lived in Chautauqua county with his parents until 1834, and in April that year when he was only nineteen years old, he started alone with an ox team for Fairfield, Lenawee county, Mich. The fall previous his father had come to Michigan and purchased a farm in Fairfield and chopped two acres. Nelson brought a load of household goods, and was seven- teen days on the road. On arriving in Fairfield, after a little in- quiry, he found his father's clearing, and immediately set about putting up a log house, to be in readiness for his parents who came on that fall. The land was described as the w. pt. of the s. w. ¿ of section 6, Fairfield. Ezekiel Smith lived on this farm until 1847, when he sold out to his son Nelson. Ezekiel Smith was born in Cummington, Vt., in 1779, where he lived until 1798, when he moved to "Lower Canada " with his parents. He lived there until about 1813, when he again went back to the "States," and settled in Wayne county, N. Y. He acted as guide to the
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
American army when it passed through his section of Canada, he being well acquainted with the country. He assisted in the con- struction of the Erie canal through Wayne county. In the spring of 1798 he married Miss Sylvia Packard, of Cummington, Vt., by whom he had eight children, three sons and five daughters, all of whom came to Michigan, three daughters coming previous to 1834. Mrs. Sylvia (Packard) Smith was undoubtedly a native of Massachusetts, as her ancestors all lived there. Ezekiel Smith died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Polly Baker, in Fairfield, December 21, 1861. Mrs. Sylvia Smith died at the old home- stead, in Fairfield, in 1848. Nelson Smith, after purchasing the farm of his father, at once set about clearing more land, and im- proving the farm generally. About four years after his purchase he erected a good frame house (the one that is still standing on the farm), and subsequently built a barn. He was a thrifty, enterpris- ing, hard-working man, paying very little attention to anybody's business but his own. He was a good neighbor and kind friend, and in the early days of the settlement of the country, he was ever ready to assist the pioneers. He never held any public office or took any active part in politics, but was ever ready to bear his share of all the burdens for the public good. October 5, 1841, he married Mrs. Delia Dunn, of Fairfield, by whom he had three children, as follows: Mary E., born August 28, 1842, now the wife of Samuel D. Mckenzie, of Adrian; Wellington C., born January 1, 1845, now resides on the home farm, where he was born; Fanny L., born October 23, 1846, died October 3, 1865; all the children were born in Fairfield. June 25, 1873, Nelson Smith died at his home, in Fairfield, after a short illness. Mrs. Delia Dunn was the widow of Jefferson Dunn, of Fairfield. Mr. Dunn was born in Ontario county, N. Y., and came to Michigan when a boy with an older brother, and settled in Livonia, Wayne county, N. Y. In 1833 Mr. Dunn came to Lenawee county and purchased a farm on Wolf creek, in the present township of Rome. After owning this farm about five months he sold out to a man named Morton, and soon after purchased a farm on the town line between Fairfield and Seneca, on sections 7 in Fairfield, and 12 in Seneca. This was a new farm, and Mr. Dunn was obliged to cut a road for half a mile through a dense forest to reach it. He cleared up and improved about forty acres, building a log house and frame barn. During the first year his house burned with all its contents, while he was away with his family. Me. Dunn had put in his winter supply of meat the day before, which together with his crop of corn was destroyed, and all he had left was a few potatoes in the cellar. But this was a part of pioneer life, and
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Mr. Dunn submitted to the calamity with a resignation equal to a true martyr. But no worthy family could suffer among so many sturdy, honest and benevolent people as were then constantly set- tling up. the county. Help was at once received from all the neighbors, and even good, benevolent Darius Comstock, sent word to Mr. Dunn to come to his house until another could be erected. About this time, too, Mr. Dunn became the father of twin sons, and Darius Comstock sent especial word to "bring the twins." It was but a short time with the assistance of the neighbors, before Mr. Dunn had another house up, which he lived in through that win- ter, and until the time of his death, which occurred June 24, 1838. He was predisposed to consumption, and during the winter of 1837-8 he took a heavy cold, which Dr. Post, who was his phy- sician, said resulted in pleuro-pneumonia. December 8, 1831, Jef- ferson Dunn married Miss Delia Morris, of Nankin, Wayne county, Mich., daughter of Lewis and Lois Morris, by whom he had four children, as follows : Sabra Lois, born in Nankin, Wayne county, Mich., December 23, 1832, and died in Fairfield, Septem- ber 3, 1846; John Wesley and Charles Wesley (twins) born in Nan- kin, Wayne county, Mich., November 24, 1834; John Wesley died July 31, 1847; Charles Wesley now lives on his father's old home- stead in Fairfield; Robert Jefferson, born in Seneca, this county, December 25, 1838, now a resident of the village of Weston, in Fairfield township, and is an extensive cattle dealer. Mrs. Delia Dunn was born in Burton, Yates county, N. Y., May 30, 1804, and came to Michigan with her mother in 1829. Her father, Lewis Morris, was a native of New Jersey. He moved to Yates county, N. Y., when he was about twenty-one years old, and pur- chased a farm. In 1816 he sold his property in Yates county, and and went to Cincinnati, where he died in August, 1820. Mrs. Dunn's mother, Mrs. Lois (Cole) Morris, was born in Sharon, Conn., October 9, 1779. She was the daughter of Ezra and Sabra (Patchin) Cole, who were pioneers of Ontario county, N. Y. Mrs. Dunn is still living at the homestead of her second husband, Nel- son Smith, in Fairfield with her son, Wellington C. Smith, who has always lived on the farm where he was born, which he now owns and carries on. January 1, 1874, W. C. Smith was married to Elizabeth A. Poucher, daughter of Abram and Laura A. Poucher, of Seneca, by whom he has had two children, as follows: Fanny E., born May 26, 1877; Mary E., born February 27, 1879 Mrs. Elizabeth A. Smith was born in Seneca, this county, November 26, 1858. Her parents still reside in Seneca. From 1842 to 1852, a period of ten years, Nelson Smith was quite ex- tensively engaged in the nursery business.
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
R OBERT SMITH was born in Burgh St. Peters, Norfolk, England, September 23, 1800. His father, William Smith, was a native of that part of England, and was a landholder of Norfolk, where he was engaged in farming and gardening. When a young man he served as coachman to some of the titled families of Norfolk. He married Sarah Butcher, by whom he had nine children, Robert being the youngest, and is now the only sur- vivor of the family. William Smith died at his home in Eng- land, in 1842. His wife died there in 1834. Robert Smith lived with his parents until he was sixteen years old, when he went to Yarmouth and served an apprenticeship of three years to the shoe- maker's trade. He followed his trade in different parts of Eng- land until April, 1834, when he sailed from Yarmouth in the ship Baltic for America, and, after a very boisterous voyage of six weeks, landed at Quebec, and made his way as soon as possible to Detroit, intending before he left England to come to Michigan and settle in Franklin, this county, where he had friends and acquaint- ances. He brought his wife and six children with him, and the trials and anxieties of the parents may be imagined, the accommo- dations for travelers in those days being anything but pleasant or comfortable, even for adults, with a resolute purpose before them. The family got into Franklin near where his house now stands, the first week in June, and passed the first night in John Fisher's log barn. After working by the month for about one year Mr. Smith located a farm on section 8, in Franklin, where he now re- sides. During the same fall after his arrival a great calamity befel him. On October 2, 1834, his wife died, leaving him with six children, the oldest being only about nine years old. 'This was in- deed a terrible blow, but Mr. Smith possessed the strength and courage to pass through any ordeal. The following year he was married again, and since that time he has kept steadily on, and by dint of hard work, economy and self-denial, he has conquered all difficulties, and for many years has enjoyed the comforts of peace, plenty and happiness. His farm at one time consisted of 270 acres, a portion of which he has sold. He has always been inter- ested in the development of the country; coming here from a for- eign land, he soon saw the beauty and promise of the country, and at once set about learning its customs, laws and requirements, and has always been a devoted, loyal citizen. He assisted in building many of the first roads, bridges, school-houses and churches, and has always been liberal in his donations of labor and money. He has been a member of the M. E. church for sixty-four years, and has been a class leader in the Franklin church for forty-three years. April 25, 1825, Robert Smith married Harriet Fisher, (22)
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD)
daughter of Francis and Lydia (Smith) Fisher, by whom he had six children, as follows: Harriet, born in Ersham, Suffolk, England, February 4, 1826, married Alanson Conkling, and died October 1, 1875; Robert, born in the same place, October 16, 1827, a resident of Franklin; William, born in Aldeby, Norfolk, England, Octo- ber 24, 1828, died at Montgomery, Mo., August 22, 1868; Eliza- beth, born same place, December 14, 1829, married Hiram Learned, of Franklin, and died August 22, 1853; Angelina, born same place, October 22, 1831, now the wife of Hiram Learned, of Franklin; John F., born same place, July 19, 1833, a farmer of Franklin. Mrs. Harriet Smith was born in Brooke, Norfolk, Eng- land, in February, 1804, and died in Franklin, this. county, Octo- ber 3, 1834. August 11, 1835, Robert Smith married Emeline Langdon, daughter of Reuben and Rebecca Langdon, of Bergen, Genesee county, N. Y., by whom he has had three children, as fol- lows: Martha Jane, born August 18, 1836, now the wife of Henry A. Goodier, of Douglas, Montcalm county, Mich .; Mary Emeline, boru September 24, 1839, now the wife of D. W. Love, of Frank- lin; Sarah Rebecca, born May 10, 1842, now the wife of James C. Wheaton, a farmer of Franklin. Mrs. Emeline Smith was born in Verona, Oneida, county, N. Y., January 16, 1802, and came to Michigan in 1833. Her father was born in Tyringham, Berk- shire county, Mass., April 26, 1777, and died July 30, 1827. Her mother was born in Stonington, Conn., April 14, 1779, and came to Michigan in 1837 and settled in Franklin, where she died January 14, 1867.
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