USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan > Part 117
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A school-house was erected in 1827; Pamelia Pattison, the first teacher; wages paid her, $1.00 per week. She being married to David Frost, the next year her sister Delight taught the school. The family removed to Nankin, Wayne county, in a few years, but they deserve more than a passing mention here. Long were their loving ministrations remembered by those who had suffered "in mind, body or estate." The town of Panama, as it was then called, began in 1828-'9 to be settled in almost every available spot. Captain Dix and John McCormick, father of C. McCormick, of Ypsilanti, were already settled at Dixboro. Esek Pray was on the Plymouth road, about as far north of us as H. Kimmel was south, and was a leading, energetic, kind man. He was Justice of the Peace and kept a country tavern for many years. Law suits were held at his house, also public meetings of the Town Board. Distance did not separate friends and acquaintances in those times. The Tafts, of Plymouth, who settled there in 1825, greatly aided the settlers of Panama, coming to their "raisings " and often making selections of land, and helping pioneers to reach it. Death
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SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP.
was also there; Mrs. James Taft died in 1827, and in a few short years James and Job Taft had passed away.
Mrs. H. H. Tooker, formerly Mary Taft, arrived with her hus- band in Michigan, and settled in Superior, June, 1826. This lady acted well her part in the early history of the township.
Eldridge Gee visited in Washtenaw in June, 1823, in company with his father-in-law, Epa Mattison, Joseph Young and Giles Downer. This party left Mrs. Downer's house, on the Rouge river, and reached Godfrey's trading post. Following the river trail, they arrived at the mouth of Mill creek, thence to the location of the present city of Ann Arbor, and from that point to the district now known as Saline, finally returning to Mrs. Downer's. At that period there were no white people living in the county. During this visit Mr. Gee erected a shanty, constructed of boards which he brought with him, and six weeks later built a log house on the northeast quarter of section 33, in the present township of Superior. Mr. Gee stated that he dwelt there for 15 or 16 months, when he was evicted by William Sines, who purchased the location from the United States, he having neglected to enter it at the United States land office. He then removed to Woodruff's Grove, where he remained until June, 1824, when Captain Dix asked him to move to Dixboro. He went thither, and while there Mattison entered the east half of the southeast quarter of section 13, in the township of Ann Arbor, July 24, 1824. During that month Mr. Gee assisted his father-in-law in building a house. There cannot be a doubt regarding Mr. Gee's early visit and subsequent settlement; but the statement that he preceded the Woodruff-Grant party seems at variance with the generally accepted fact that Woodruff's Grove was the first settlement of American pioneers in Washtenaw county. Presuming that Mr. Gee made his first exploratory trip into this district in June, 1823, as is stated in his paper, the "first log house " could not be built by him "about the first of March " of that year. It appears very probable that the story of this first settlement is correct in many respects, the dates alone being a little confused. There is no more reason to state that Mr. Gee was the first settler than to give the four fishermen of Monroe precedence on account of their former visits to Godfrey's.
A MODERN BURNS.
William Lambie, a countryman of Robert Burns, settled on the Moan farm, in Superior township, June, 1839. After "a fair, square battle with privations, exile and penury " he won success. Forty years after settlement he addressed the following lines to the pioneers of Superior:
We welcome every honest heart into our friendly meeting ;
To every man that led the van we send a kindly greeting ; All honor to the gallant band who always led the way,
And made the State so rich and great, now crowned with silver gray ;
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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
Brave and good, they earned their food, privations long enduring, By waving woods and flowing floods along the winding Huron. The farms will stand to enrich the land through all the coming years, The fields they won tell what was done by the good old Pioneers. They fought the battles of the free, and no bloody banners bore, The grandest of the peaceful brave in the good old days of yore. The Heroes of the sylvan woods, workers in sun and rain,
Who sowed the fields, rich autumn yields, and reaped the golden grain, Women refined, and men of mind, as good as you ever saw, In happy homes they sung their songs over all our Washtenaw. The youngsters glad, in homespun clad, made fields and forests ring, And girls and boys, with glee and noise, did in the green wood swing. In autumn days, through rural ways, the young were sent to school, To learn in youth to speak the truth and pay their debts in full, When fields were cleared the church was reared, for worship, prayer and praise,
Hearts were given to hope and Heaven and sacred Sabbath days. A righteous cause, no bankrupt laws, with good work for all to do, They spent happy days in work and praise, where hearts were kind and true.
They worked for funds, received no duns, or credit from the bank ; They gained in health and honest wealth without a paper stamp. Farm stock was watered at the rills, in fertile fields they trusted ; They held plowshares in solid hills and banks that never bursted. They got good interest, paid in wheat, the harvest failing never, The rainbow painted on the sky their " trade-mark " true forever. The birds sung in the fields and groves on every summer morning, The wild flowers and the apple bloom their peaceful homes adorning; The bob-o-links flew over head, free concerts to them bringing, The streams went gliding down the glens along the green banks singing. They had the " rocks," but not the votes, no ballots for them throwing; They had no need of public feed with granaries overflowing; They reigned on every hill and dale over all the balmy West, The heaven's blue dome their palace home, the greatest and the best. Some may honor regal kings, wearing their crowns of gold, We honor men with glory crowned-the Pioneers of old.
THE VILLAGE OF DIXBORO.
The village is prettily situated on Fleming's creek, in the midst of a rich agricultural country. It was platted in 1826 by Surveyor A. B. Rowe, for Captain John Dix, into 64 lots, with a reserve of 16 rods by 8, and a public square of equal size, north of the south road. Main street, or the western extension of the Detroit road, divided the plat, leaving 22 lots west of the reserve, and square on the north side of Main street, and eight lots east of the square. Dix's barn stood north of the Detroit road, just east of the village boundary, and his dwelling house on the south side of the road. The grist and saw-mill, were located on the creek east of the south road. This plat was recorded Feb. 28, 1828, by Cyrus Beckwith, Registrar of Washtenaw county.
The following historical sketch appeared in the Ann Arbor Journal, Feb. 5, 1859:
DIXBORO.
This little town, situated about five miles from Ann Arbor, on the Dixboro road, was located by Capt. Dix. Capt. Dix was New
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SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP.
England born, and had spent most of his life on the sea, up to the time of his emigrating to the then Territory of Michigan. He bought at this place a large tract of Government land, put it under cultivation, erected a flouring mill containing two run of stone, and kept a little store for the accommodation of his neighbors.
Capt. Dix possessed a little of that hauteur, which is so charac- teristic of the sons of Neptune.
Mrs. Dix and the other ladies that came with them to these Western wilds were high-toned families, and acquainted with Bos- ton city life.
Capt. Dix's wife was familiarly know among the old settlers as lady "Trass." The old settlers have made frequent mention of her in connection with her exploits in horsemanship and the use of fire- arms, in watching " deer licks " on summer evenings.
Capt. Dix disposed of his property at this place about the year 1833, and moved to Texas. It is said that lady "Trass " received one league of land from the Texas Government for teaching an infant school.
From the time that Capt. Dix left this place until within a short period, Dixboro has been on the wane,-but as Byron sang, "A change came o'er the spirit of my dreams." Dixboro, after slum- bering for years and haunted by the ghost of departed spirits, has come out clean and unscathed as a living monument, showing that civilization and Christianity early made their imprints there.
During 1858 a protracted meeting was commenced under the charge of the Rev. Mr. Donaldson. An organization was formed and the following trustees were elected: James Fair, Isaac N. S. Foster, C. B. Cook, W. S. Waterman, D. B. Newton, H. S. Crippen and F. D. Galpin. It was attended with very good suc- cess, and society took a different tone. It was then proposed to build a church, and now, to the praise of Dixboro, it can be said that they have one of the best built and most commodious (Metho- dist) churches anywhere in the county. Its cost was about $2,200, exclusive of carpets and furniture. And here let us say that the worthy high-sheriff, born in Dixboro, although not a member of this Church, took such an interest in the matter, that the beautiful lamps and chandelier which light the church were donated by him.
Some of the citizens of Ann Arbor, after helping build the church, contributed toward the furniture.
There was one other present we wish to mention, because it was given by a lady, who had taken a very lively interest in seeing the house completed, but disease, taking hold of her vitals, she only lived to see the edifice completed. The lady, after giving several tokens of Christian love to her friends, donated a beautiful set of silver-ware for the communion service. So ended the last moments of Mrs. Peter Ingals, a pious woman and an esteemed friend.
THE DIXBORO GHOST.
The ghost excitement of 1845 was one of those strange uprisings of popular superstition which vary the monotony of life, and result
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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
in the accumulation of valuable experience. It appears that on the night of Sept. 27, 1846, Isaac Van Woert, who arrived in the vil- lage on the preceding day, took lodgings in an untenanted house pointed out to him by Jackson Hawkins. While standing in front of the window, and at a moment when his wife had stepped into Mrs. Hammond's home, he saw a light within the room. After a closer survey he saw a middle-sized woman holding a light in her left hand; her head was bound in a white cloth, while around her was hung a loose gown. The strange figure moved slowly across the room, entered the bed-room, the door of which she closed. Van Woert followed the woman, but on entering the room found nothing there. Before entering, however, he heard one of the bureau drawers open and shut. After the lapse of a few days Woert learned for the first time that the house was occupied by Mrs. M. Mulholland up to the period of her death. The apparition re- appeared in October. Van Woert then saw the woman within five feet of him. She said, " Don't touch me; touch me not." Step- ping back a little, he demanded what she wanted. The apparition replied, "He has got it. He robbed me little by little until they kilt me. They kilt me; now he has got it all." She further said, "J -- J --- , yes, J- has got it at last, but it won't do him long. Joseph ! O Joseph! I wish Joseph would come away."
An affidavit of Van Woert was sworn before Wm. R. Perry, a Justice of the Peace, at Ann Arbor, Dec. 8, 1845, from which the foregoing is summarized. In continuation the witness of these manifestations says: "The third time I saw her I awoke in the night; know not what hour; the bed-room was entirely light; I saw no candle, but saw the same woman, who said, 'J -- can't hurt me any more; no he can't, I am out of his reach. Why don't they get Joseph out of the way? Oh, my boy ! why not come away ?'
" The fourth time she appeared was 11 o'clock at night. I was sitting with my feet on the stove hearth, when all at once the door stood open and I saw the same woman in the door supported in the arms of a man whom I knew. She was stretched back and looked as if she were in the agonies of death. She did not speak, but the apparition of the man said, 'She is dying ! she will die!' and all disappeared, and the door closed without a noise. The strange and unwelcome visitor appeared four times, always speak- ing of crimes committed and expressing fears of others to follow. The main subject of the ghost's complaint was supposed to con- nect the doctor and some of her former relatives with the murder of herself and another person. The body of one of their victims was, according to the specter's testimony, cast into a well at the corner of Main and Mill streets, and that of the other into the waters of Frain's lake." The credulity of the people actually led them to search both well and lake for the victims of the murderers; there was no discovery which might lead to the realization of Woert's gigantic dream. Many are inclined to believe the story
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SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP.
of the " Dixboro Ghost," but the great majority ascribe the cause of all this excitement and trouble to a well-laid conspiracy, having for its object the banishment of a medical man from the settle- ment, and the disgrace of others. If this were the fact, the con- spirators succeeded; the persons stigmatized by the specter of Mrs. Mullholland left the district within a brief space of time.
INDUSTRIES.
In the earlier years of the township the milling interest received much attention. No less than eight saw-mills have been in oper- ation there, each completing its round of duty and falling into disuse. Of those mills seven possessed a water-power, and one steam-power. Two of them were located at Dixboro; two at Lowell; Pine's, on section 25; Fowler's on section 36 and Wansey's on section 26. Murray's steam saw-mill has passed away like the others. This mill was situated on section 12. The three flouring mills, two of which were built by Captain Dix and R. K. Ailes, at Dixboro, and the other at Lowell, have disappeared. The mill built by Dix was torn down, and Ailes' mill was erected on its site. Those mills were destroyed by fire. The paper mill at Lowell, referred to in the history of Ypsilanti, is the most recent and greatest industry ever established in the county. As late as 1834 there were two stores owned by Clements and Shaw. A tavern kept by Clements and another by Kelly existed also. The first postoffice at Dixboro was kept by Captain Dix.
The wild-cat bank of Lowell progressed so far as to print bills, but prior to the issue of such paper currency the project fell through.
OTHER ITEMS.
There have been seven suicides in Superior, the first of which was perpetrated in 1850.
A gang of horse thieves existed in the township about 1837; yet the township has not furnished a tenant to the State's prison.
The school-houses of the township number 10, five of which are brick, one stone, and four frame structures. The first school-house was built in the Free Church neighborhood. The first outside the Free-Church neighborhood was that on the Ypsilanti and Superior town line.
The churches comprise the M. E. church and the Free church. The first was erected in 1858, and the second built by Col. Brewer and Abel Parkhurst about 1855, intended as a house of worship for all denominations.
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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
The following named persons have served in different official capacities since the organization of the township:
SUPERVISORS.
Augustus Root. 1829
Geo. Renwick.
1830-32
L. L. Kimmell. .1854
Augustus Root
1833-34
L. W. Bowers. 1855-56
Joseph Howe. 1835-36
Edward Goodspeed. 1857
Rob. T. Wheelock 1837-40
John Brewer. 1858
Joseph Howe. 1841
Ira Crippen 1859
Silas Wheelock. 1842
E. R. Murray 1843
William Hiscock 1861
Frederick Andrews. 1844
1845
Warren Babcock. 1867-68
Daniel Tibbetts 1846
William Geer 1869
Daniel Crippen ..
1847
-
Ira Crippen. 1870
John W. Brewer
1848-49
Wm. Geer. 1871-72
Smith W. Bowers
1850
F. P. Galpin.
1873-80
CLERKS.
Silas Wheelock. 1829-30
Daniel Crippen. 1831
Thos. W. Leonard. 1851-53
Silas Wheelock. 1832
E. M. Cole. 1854-55
Isaac Gale. 1833
Ira Crippen. 1856
E. B. Delano 1834
F. P. Galpin. 1857-59
Wm. M. Clements.
1835
William Geer 1860
Aaron H. Kelley 1836
Perry Crippen 1861
Albert Bedell 1837
William Geer. 1862
M. N. Tillotson 1838
Wm. C. Murray
1863
John M. Welch 1839
William Geer.
1864-66
Cortes Pond.
1841
Henry S. Crippen 1870
Thompson Sinclair 1842
J. M. Voorhees. 1871
H. S. Crippen. 1843
H. S. Crippen 1844
John Hall. 1845-48
Geo. W. Gale 1849
-
J. F. Packard.
1879
C. Dorner.
1880
TREASURERS.
The office of constable and treasurer were one until 1843.
Geo. Douglass. 1843
Milton Pettibone 1844
Geo. Douglass. 1845
Wm. Hiscock 1846-47
Geo. Douglass 1848
Wm. Hiscock 1849
Geo. Douglass. 1850
Chas. J. Murray. 1851-52
Geo. W. Townsend. 1853
Chas. McCormick. 1854
Thos. J. Fowler. 1855.
T. B. Goodspeed. 1856
S. M. Vought. 1857
Thos. K. Andrews. 1858
Wm. B. Tock . .1859
Reuben Kimmell 1860
Wm. C. Murray 1861-62
Harrison Ruthruff. 1863-64
William Ruthruff. 1865
Wm. C. Clark. 1866-68
Vedar Shanklin. 1869
Thos. K. Andrews 1870
Gilbert Birdsell 1871-72
Wm. H. Crippen 1873-75
J. F. Packard. 1876
Geo. Ruthruff. 1877-78
W. Crippen
1879-80
E. M. Cole. 1860
E. M. Cole 1862-66
Elijah R. Murray
Adam Minnis. 1850
Alvin Norton 1840
A. J. Murray. . 1867-69
J. J. Strong. 1872
A. J. Wilbur 1873-78
George Douglass .1851-53
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SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Esek Pray 1829-36
Ira Camp
1837
G. C. Bedell )
William Hiscock. 1860
Jacob Bacon .1838
Silas Wheelock 1861
Esek Pray 1839
F. F. Finley 1862
W. M. Clements 1840
Abel Parkhurst
1841
Daniel Crippen 1842
Daniel Peterson. 1865
Esek Pray. 1843
Philo Galpin. 1844
S. C. Merrills. 1845
Geo. Gill. .1868
S. H. Hazard. 1846
John W. Naury 1869
Silas Wheelock. 1847
T. B. Goodspeed. 1870
Stephen Ailes 1848
Jacob. L. Strong 1871
Milton Pettibone 1849
T. V. Quackenbush 1872
J. Hawkins. 1850
Arthur Covert. . 1873
Solomon Miller 1851
T. B. Goodspeed. 1874
John Brewer .1852
R. J. Brown. 1875
Geo. Allen. . .1853
J. A. McDo. 1876
William Roberts 1854
R. Townsend 1877
William Hiscock. 1855
A. Campbell
1878
Daniel Peterson 1856
A. Kimmell 1879
Silas Wheelock 1857
L. Kimmel
1880
BIOGRAPHICAL.
The history of Superior township will now be continued by the presentation of brief biographical sketches of several of its most prominent old settlers and other citizens.
Aaron Campbell was born in Livingston Co., N. Y., July 27, 1844, and is a son of Hiram and Elizabeth Campbell, the former a native of Massachusetts, of Scotch descent, and the latter a native of New York, and of German ancestry. Mr. Campbell was married, Dec. 29, 1865, and 4 children have been given them-George W., Rachel E., Olive L., and Benjamin F. Mrs. Campbell was born Nov. 7, 1844, about 16 miles from where Mr. Campbell first saw the light of day. Her par- ents were natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Camp- bell are members of the M. E. Church. Mrs. C. had three brothers in the Union army, two of whom were killed in battle, and Mr. C. enlisted in 1862, but was not old enough.
Samuel Casey, farmer, was born at Lanesboro, Berkshire Co., Mass., July 7, 1803. He was the son of Edward and Martha (Stearns) Casey, both natives of Rhode Is- land. His father and uncle were soldiers in the Revolutionary war, and partic- ipated in the battle of Bunker Hill. The elder Casey died in Pittsfield, Mass., in 1815, and his wife in Lewis Co., N. Y., a few years after. Samuel resided in Lewis Co., N. Y, with his mother and brother until 21 years of age. He came to Michigan first in 1826, and remained one summer, returning to New York in December of that year. In 1830 he married Lucinda Jones, and for some time afterward kept a public house in Peoria, eight miles from Geneseo, N. Y. In 1837, Mr. Casey removed to Michigan, and settled at Ypsilanti, for some time thereafter working a farm on shares. In 1847, he purchased the farm he now occupies, lying north of Ypsilanti, in Superior tp., consisting of 80 acres. Mr. Casey was the father of 6 children-Charles, Martin E., Elizabeth H., Edgar, Martha, and an infant not named. Mr. C. has been so unfortunate as to lose the entire number by death. Mr. Casey and wife celebrated the 50th anniversary of their marriage in Aug., 1880, and although the weather was unpleasant, 80 guests were present from Ypsilanti and vicinity, and the appreciation of their friends was shown by the presentation to Mr. Casey of a gold-headed ebony cane, Mrs. Casey receiving from her friends a pair of gold-bowed spectacles. Mrs. Casey's parents were John
Albert Todd. 1858
William Waterman. 1859
Isaac Rowe. 1863
Warren Babcock 1864
Albert Todd 1866
Allen Bagley 1867
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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
and Elizabeth Jones, born at Charlestown, Montgomery Co., N. Y., where they spent their lives. She has one sister living in Ypsilanti.
Alanson Chase, (deceased) was among the early pioneers of Washtenaw county. He was born in Massachusetts, April 6, 1806, and a son of Nehemiah Chase, of English descent. His mother was of Scotch parentage. He was reared on a farm and received a common-school education. He was married Jan. 12, 1854, to Melissa Laraway, and 2 children have been given them-Diadama Amorett, a school- teacher in Saline tp., born Dec. 9.1864, and Edwin A., who was born May 4, 1865. Mrs. Chase was born Feb. 11, 1825. He entered land from Government when he came into the county, and at the time of his death owned 175 acres. He died Nov. 7, 1880, and was mourned by numerous friends and relatives. He was an honest and intelligent citizen and well respected throughout the county.
James P. Clements (deceased) was born in Saratoga county, N. Y., Jan. 12, 1807. He went to a district school until 15 years of age, when he entered the employ of 'Squire Ketchum, as clerk in a clothing house at Bemis Heights, N. Y. He remained there six years. He then started on a Western trip as traveling sales- man for the above named firm, paying his own expenses and receiving only a small salary. In 1836 he gave up this business, and, in connection with his brother, purchased what is known as the "Dix property," in this county, where he remained two years. In the fall of 1839 he went East, and was married to Mary Ann Finch October 29, daughter of Daniel Finch, Drum-Major in the war of 1812. After remaining a few months in Saratoga county, N. Y., he returned to Michigan and entered the photography business. He built a " car" and traveled through tbe "Saginaw valley" until 1861, when the Rebellion broke out. In the spring of 1863 he was sent to Baltimore with a soldiers' donation from Superior tp. He returned and again entered the photography business, this time at Ann Arbor, where he remained a term of years. He subsequently retired to his farm at Dix- boro. His wife died Aug. 9, 1878. She was a pioneer of the county, and a mem- ber of the M. E. Church. Mr. Clements died of pneumonia, Feb. 9, 1880, leaving a family of 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl-Sarah E., William S., Millard F. and Edgar D.
Daniel Crippen (deceased). Perhaps no man within the borders of Washtenaw county was so well known in former years as the subject of this sketch. Daniel Crippen was born at Middlebury, Schoharie county, N. Y., in 1794. His father was a soldier in the Continental army, and during his three years' service encountered many hair-breadth escapes. Daniel was endowed with the same noble patriotism that characterized his father, and when the war of 1812 was declared he was one of the first to shoulder a musket in defense of his beloved country. He volunteered, but was never mustered into service. He remained in his native State until 1827,. when he turned his face toward the setting sun, and started to find a home for him- self and family. He arrived in the Territory of Michigan and settled in Wash- tenaw county, entering 160 acres of land on section 21, Ann Arbor tp. The country was then an unbroken wilderness, and Mr. Crippen was forced to cut a road two miles long to connect with the main road. He assisted in the raising of the first grist-mill, known as the Dixboro Mill. Mr. Crippen was a local preacher of the M. E. denomination for over 50 years, and was a man of sterling integrity and unblemished character. He was always foremost in matters of public enterprise, and a leading spirit in those relating to education and religion. He departed this life March 1, 1876. In 1816 he married Charlotte Gale, a native of Dutchess county, N. Y. Eight children were sent to bless this union, 7 of whom are living- Henry S., Anna, Roger, Ira, Phoebe, Perry and John W. Harriet is deceased. Henry S. Crippen, the eldest child, was born in Albany county, N. Y., in 1817, and came with his parents to this county in 1827. He obtained his education in the old log school-houses, having to' walk two and a half miles to enjoy the benefit of even that rude institute of learning. In 1842 he married Mary Wickoff, a native of New York. Four children were born to them-Charles W., William H, Frank B., and Lelestia, all married, and recognized as citizens of character and integrity. Mr. C. has been elected to fill different positions of trust in Ann Arbor tp., and was identi- fied with the roads, school-houses and churches built within its borders. He is a faithful member of the M. E. Church. His first vote was cast for William H. Harrison, President of the United States. They have 4 children-George D., Daniel L., Ira W., and Anna, all residing at home.
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