USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 65
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July 6, 1834, Charles B. Stout, Summers and Hiram Hunt were appointed a committee to draft a memorial to Trinity church, and David A. Mil- ler, Stephen Summers and Walker M. Hinman, to draft a plan for a church and procure a site for it. November 7, 1834, Hiram Hunt, David A. Miller and Walker M. Hinman were appointed a build- ing committee. At the next meeting, November 17, 1834, Stephen Summers was substituted on the latter committee for Mr. Hinman, who requested to be excused from such service. At this meeting also the vestry made binding the writing of the committee with Charles B. Stout for the purchase of a building lot. December 28, 1834, the plan of a church presented by the committee appointed for that purpose was accepted, and the building committee authorized to proceed to expend the amount of subscription, and no more, in building a church. March 30, 1835, it was resolved to ex- change lots with Charles B. Stout for one on the corner of Chapel and Stanley streets. The corner stone of the church was laid July 3, 1835, by Rev. Henry J. Whitehouse, D. D., assisted by the rector, Rev. Thomas Meacham, and Revs. Wm. P. Page, Rarand Karney and --- Richmond. Wm. Ham- lin was the architect, Walker M. Hinman, the builder, and Isaac A. Kemball, the mason.
May 1, 1837, a call was extended to Rev. Henry S. Atwater to take charge of the parish, at a salary of $500, the rent of a house, and a missionary stipend if it could be obtained. June 30, 1840, the salary was increased to $600.
August 14, 1837, it was resolved to separate from the Sunday school library certain books suited only to adults and make them the nucleus of a parochial library for the use of the congregation. At that time also the church edifice was formally donated to Rt. Rev. Benjamin Tredwell Onderdonk, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of New York, by whom it was consecrated August 19, 1837. The
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
church slips were sold at public auction September 23, 1837 ; Phineas Canfield was the auctioneer.
June 29, 1843, Rev. Charles D. Cooper was called to the rectorship, and March 5, 1845, was granted a leave of absence for one year. His resignation was accepted Dec. 21, 1846, to take effect March 1, 1847. June 21, 1847, a call to the rectorship was given Rev. Maunsell Van Rensse- laer, of Albany, and accepted. March 17, 1853, he tendered his resignation, which was accepted March 21, 1853. October 3, 1853, a call was ex- tended to Rev. Thomas L. Franklin and ac- cepted. His rectorship continued till the summer of 1871.
The demand for increased church accommoda- tions being felt, March 4, 1854. J. R. Murray, G. H. Summers, Henry Swan, John Vernam and W. M. Hinman were appointed a committee to ex- amine and report at an adjourned meeting a plan and estimate of the cost of enlarging the church at the south end, so as to give an additional window on each side, and also of an alteration at the north end by throwing the vestibule into the body of the church and the erection of a new tower. At the next meeting Mr. Murray offered to purchase the church and lot at $1,500 and give the society a lot on which to build a new edifice. W. M. Hinman, Geo. H. Summers and John Vernam were ap- pointed to confer with pew holders and obtain their consent. A majority of the pew holders con- curring, committees were appointed to procure plans for a church, with estimate of cost, and solicit subscriptions for its erection. April 6, 1854, Mr. Murray modified his former proposition by an offer to erect a new church on a site opposite the old one, and convey the same to the vestry, provided that body would sell and convey to him the church building and lot then in use and pay him $1,500, provided also the vestry would accept the plan for a new church which he might propose, his proposi- tion to remain open one week. The vestry then resolved to build a new church, provided the same could be done without incurring a heavy debt, and the subscription committee were instructed to use their utmost exertions to raise $1,500 for that pur- pose before the next meeting, which was held on the 13th of April following. At that meeting the vestry accepted Mr. Murray's proposition of April 6, 1854, the plan of a new church presented by him was adopted, and W. M. Hinman, Henry Swan and Jesse Peterson were appointed to enter into a contract with Mr. Murray in behalf of the vestry in accordance with his proposition,
In 1856, an organ costing $1,000, (toward which the old organ was applied at $200,) and a bell weighing 1,930 pounds, were purchased for the new church, which was built at a cost of $25,000, and was consecrated September 18, 1856, by Wm. Heathcote De Lancey, D. D., LL. D., D. C. L., Bishop of the Diocese of Western New York.
December 29, 1857, a deed from John R. Mur- ray and Mrs. Anna Vernon Murray, dated July 24, 1857, of parts of lots 19 and 20 in the village of Mt. Morris for a parsonage site, was accepted and the thanks of the vestry tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Murray for their liberality and kindness .*
That the office of vestryman was not a sinecure may be inferred from the fact that June 8, 1858, a fine of fifty cents was imposed upon each vestry- man or church-warden who should be "more than thirty minutes behind time, or be absent from any vestry meeting without a reasonable excuse."
September 20, 1860, Judge Charles H. Carroll, in behalf and at the expressed wish of his deceased daughter, Miss A. V. R. Carroll, donated to the vestry $500, to be invested, and the annual income arising therefrom devoted to the Sunday school and parish libraries alternately. In 1871, Hon. J. A. and Mrs. Mead donated to the parish a new com- munion set to take the place of one donated by Mrs. David A. Miller and in use from the organi- zation .of the church.
Mr. Franklin, who resigned June 23, 1871, to accept a call to the parish of Christ church, in Madison, Ind., was succeeded in the rectorship by Rev. L. Van Bokkelen, D. D., to whom a call was extended August 14, 1871. Dr. Van Bokkelen's resignation was accepted August 31, 1874. Jan- uary 17, 1875, Rev. Francis B. Dunham was called to the rectorship. His resignation was received and accepted February 15, 1877. Rev. George S. Teller took charge of the parish April 1, 1877. His resignation was accepted August 27, 1879, to take effect November 1, 1879. A call was given Rev. J. A. Massey, D. D., of Mobile, Alabama, October 15, 1879.
The following have been the wardens of this church :- Jellis Clute, 1833 ; Nehemiah Barlow, 1833-5 ; Stephen Summers, 1834-57 ;t David A.
* Mrs. Anda Vernon Murray, wife of John R. Murray, died at Care- novia, March 8, 1878. In accordance with her expressed wish she was buried in the church yard, near the church which the generous bounty of herself and husband provided for this Parish, together with the lot on which the parsonage stands. The vestry granted Mr. Murray the right in perpetuity to use that part of the church yard he had designated as his family burial lot, and assumed the reverent care of the mortal remains thus placed within their grounds.
t Died Ang. 5, 1847, aged 57. David A. Miller elected his successor Aug. 25, 1847.
313
VILLAGE OF MOUNT MORRIS -CHURCHES, SOCIETIES.
Miller, 1837, 1840-52 ; Col. Wm. Fitzhugh, 1838- 39, (died in 1839 ;) Frederick A. Davis, 1847-51, 1853 ; George H. Summers, 1852; W. M. Hin- man, 1853-67 ; Charles H. Carroll, 1854-65 ;* Hiram P. Mills, 1866-78; C. B. Adams, 1868-9; Robert H. Brooks, 1870-80 ; J. R. Murray, 1879- 80.
The following Vestry was elected March 29, 1880 ; Wardens, John R. Murray, R. H. Brooks ; Vestrymen, M. H. Mills, James Yeomans, Arthur Sawyer, C. L. Bingham, N. A. Seymour, Ozro Clark, L. C. Bingham, Wm. Harding.
St. John's Church, (Catholic,) Mt. Morris .- The first Catholic services in this vicinity of which we have information were held during the building of the canal by Father McGuire from Rochester, and about the second year of the progress of that work a house of worship was erected at "Brushville,"t (Tuscarora,) on land, the use of which was do- nated by Judge Carroll, of Groveland. When operations on the canal ceased the services were discontinued and the building, which was an inex- pensive one, was subsequently burned down.
Among the earliest to conduct services in the village was Father Edward O'Flaharty, who preached in the school-house, in the hall which oc- cupied the site of the Greens' Empire Flock, (the latter of which was built in 1874,) and in the resi- dence of John Toole, at Damonsville. Occasional services were held till about 1851, about which time a house of worship was erected on the site of the present fine brick structure, which was built in 1869, and there they continued to worship until the present house was built, when the old one was torn down. At that time Father O'Brien was the pastor. The first priest stationed here was Father Riley, who had previously read mass here. He remained till his last sickness, his death occurring soon after at Buffalo. He was succeeded by Father McCool and numerous others. The pres- ent pastor, Rev. J. J. Donnelly, has labored here about six years. The Church has a large mem- bership, and a congregation exceeding in numbers that of any other church in the village.
Mt. Morris Cemetery Association was incorpor- ated July 20, 1859. The incorporators were George W. Branch, Hiram H. Gladding, Justin Smith, Henry Swan, Reuben P. Wisner, Hiram P. Mills, George Hastings, Clark B. Adams, Reuben Sleeper, Norman Seymour, Jr., Abraham Wigg and
* Died in 1865. Daniel H. Fitzhugh, M. D., elected his successor Sept. 1, 1865.
t This name is probably due to the fact that the locality was character- ized by a growth of low brush and the absence of large trees.
Walter H. Noble, who were trustees by the char- ter, and seven of whom are buried in the new cemetery. The trustees met July 23, 1859, and elected the following officers :- Reuben P. Wisner, President ; Hiram P. Mills, Vice-President ; W. H. Noble, Secretary ; Reuben Sleeper, Treasurer ; Henry Swan, Clark B. Adams and Norman Sey- mour, Jr., Executive Committee. Mr. Noble has held the office of Secretary since the organization of the Association. George Hastings succeeded Mr. Wisner as President in 1863, and was followed by Clark B. Adams in 1867, and by Hiram P. Mills in 1870. Mr. Mills still holds the office.
The Association purchased 15.57 acres of land about three-fourths of a mile west of the center of the village of Hiram P. Mills and Abraham Wigg, for which they paid $100 per acre. The grounds were immediately laid out by H. B. Allen, a civil engineer of Arcade, at a cost of about $400. The Association have since expended $6,426 in the general care of the grounds, inclosing them with a fence, and in building a receiving vault, gateway, bridges, &c., all of which, together with the pur- chase price, the cost of laying ont the grounds, and $1,510.47 now in the treasury, has been realized from the sale of lots ; while only about one-fourth of the plot has been sold. The grounds occupy a beautiful eminence overlooking the village. They present a pleasing diversified surface, are hand- somely laid out, and tastefully adorned with trees and shrubbery.
The present officers, elected in June, 1880, are : Z. W. Joslyn, Hathorne Burt, C. L. Bingham, W. H. Noble, Hiram H. Gladding, H. E. Brown, L. J. Ames, Norman Seymour, H. P. Mills, Ozro Clark, Henry H. Scoville, Hugh Harding, Trus- tees ; Hiram P. Mills, President ; Norman Sey- mour, Vice President ; W. H. Noble, Secretary ; C. L. Bingham, Treasurer ; H. E. Brown, Superin- tendent, a position he has held for the last fourteen years ; Porter Kellogg, Sexton; Z. W. Joslyn, Hathorne Burt, Dr. L. J. Ames, Executive Com- mittee; C. L. Bingham, H. E. Brown, H. H. Scoville, Investing Committee.
SOCIETIES .- Mt. Morris Lodge No. 122 F. & A. M. was instituted in 1847. The charter mem- bers were: Wm. D. Morgan, farmer; John Ver- nam, farmer ; Joseph Favor, merchant; Eli Lake, blacksmith ; Alfred Dean, carpenter ; Henry Max- well, physician ; Ebenezer Damon, clothier ; Elias B. Driggs, tinsmith ; Walker M. Hinman, mechanic; Prentice Pendleton, mechanic; George G. Wil- liams, mechanic ; David A. Miller, merchant, and
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Samuel II. Fitzhugh, attorney, all residents of Mt. Morris. W'm. D. Morgan was the first Master.
The present officers are : James Yeomans, Mas- ter; Henry G. Ames, S. W .; H. M. Dayfoot, J. W .; Hathorne Burt, Treasurer ; John M. Hastings, Secretary ; Wm. J. Pressey, S. D .; Dr. Frank H. Moyer, J. D) .; John W. Sickles, Tiler.
Past Masters-Wm. D. Morgan, Henry Max- well, John N. Hurlburt, Elias B. Driggs, Judson C. Goodrich, Henry Wells, Loren Coy, John Ver- nam, Charles L. Bingham, McNeil Seymour, George N. Williams, Archibald McCarthy, James Yeomans, T. T. Swan, Charles W. Stevens, Walter H. Humphrey.
The lodge meets the first and third Mondays of each month in the Empire Block. It numbers about 85 members.
MMIt. Morris R. A. C. No. 37 was organized in 1850 and warranted Feb. 5, 1850. Moseley Stod- ‹lard was the first High Priest, John N. Hurlburt the first King, Elias B. Driggs the first Scribe.
Present officers-Loren Coy, H. P .; James Yeo- mans, K .; Wmn. H. Swan, Scribe ; Charles 1 .. Bing- ham, Treasurer ; Hugh Harding, Secretary. The present membership is 29. The Chapter meets on Wednesday of each month on or preceding the full of the moon.
Among those who have passed the chair are John N. Hurlburt, Moses Stoddard, Moses Camp, McNeil Seymour, James Yeomans and Loren Coy.
Genesee Valley Lodge No. 129 A. O. U. II'. was organized Jan. 30, 1878. The charter members were: Morgan Hammond, P. W. M .; Dr. H. M. Dayfoot, M. W .; W. R. Hinds, Foreman; Henry H. Scoville, Overseer ; llenry Wigg, Recorder ; Wm. Il. Swan, Financier ; Adam Sech, Receiver ; John White, Guide; John Brown, Inside Watch- man; George White, Outside Watchman, and Hathorne Burt, A. F. MeKay, Henry Gale, L. A. J. Gage, Joseph Fraley, Charles H. Gladding, James Yeomans, P. S. Moxon, N. A. Seymour, John C. Winters. The lodge meets every Thurs- day evening. The present membership is 39.
Richmond, Trustees, and Hathorne Burt, W. H. Humphrey, Addison P. Wisner, H. S. Wigg, Charles J. Perry, John D. Wallace, William Chap- pell, P'. Durkin, James McNeilly, James M. Chil- son and James S. Mosman. The present number of members is 24, four having been admitted and four suspended since the organization. The lodge meets each alternate Friday evening.
TUSCARORA.
Tuscarora is a post village situated on Cashaqua creek in the south-east part of the town, some six or seven miles south of Mt. Morris, on the line of the Genesee Valley canal and the Rochester, Nunda and Pennsylvania railroad. The business of the place has been ruined by the abandonment of the canal. It contains two churches, (Presbyterian and Free Methodist,) but only one church building, one hotel, kept by Samuel Lashell, two stores, a grist- mill. cheese factory, two wagon shops, (kept by L. J. Colburn and Harrison Hagadorn,) two blacksmith shops, (kept by Frederick Layman and William Naraganz,) one harness shop, (kept by Squire Rumsey.) a saw-mill, and a population of 159. The settlement here, says Hotchkin, was commenced in 1822-23, by Messrs. Culver, Bab- cock and Caulkins.
Prominent among the merchants who have done business in this place were Benjamin Irish, who occupied the building next south of Mr. North- way's store some sixty years ago, John and David LaRue, Elias Kinney, who was afterwards associ- ated with John Sherwood, William Townsend, Henry and Sidney Alden, Demorest & Son, and William Petrie, from 1839 to 1873. The present merchants are Frank A. Northway and Edward R. Crevling. Mr. Northway commenced business August 24, 1872, and was successively associated with L. H. Barron, R. K. Bergen, C. Whiteneck, the latter of whom he bought out May 1, 1879. The business was established about forty years ago by Jared P. Dodge in the building next south of the store now occupied by Mr. Northway, and now used by him as a storehouse. Mr. Dodge removed some ten years later to Mr. Northway's present store and continued in trade till 1865, ex- cept at intervals, when his sons A. and A. C. Dodge, and later .1. C. Dodge and E. Youngs, carried it on. In 1865 he sold to Hand & Post, (Wesley Hand and Jacob) Post,) the former of whom sold to Tallman T. Van Arsdale about 1867,
Mt. Morris Lodge NO. ITI E. O. M. A. was organized July 21, 1879. The charter members were: Wm. A. Sutherland, P. P .; Norman A. Sey- mour, P .; Wm. (). Mosman, V. P .; Charles H. Scoville, Secretary ; F. F. Hastings, Treasurer ; W. 11. Buell, Conductor ; James Hill, Chaplain ; Eugene Ferris, Inside Guard ; John V. Sickles, Outside Guard; Herbert M. Dayfoot, Medical Examiner; C. F. Braman, William Sickles, W. | and Van Arsdale to Lucius H. Barron about 1871.
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TUSCARORA.
Post sold to Mr. Northway, the present proprietor, in 1872. Mr. Northway is the postmaster at this place, having received the appointment June 1, 1878. F. R. Crevling came here from Sparta, his native town, and commenced business May I, 1874. He was associated one year, in 1879, with W. M. Crevling, under the name of E. R. & W. M. Crevling
Dr. James S. Sharp and Orville L. Rowe, are the physicians at Tuscarora. Dr. Sharp located here in 1864, and Dr. Rowe in 1879.
The grist-mill at Tuscarora was built in 1860, by David LaRue, who operated it about eight years, when he was succeeded by the present proprie- tors-Garrett, Barckley and David Miller-broth- ers. It contains three runs of stones, and is pro- pelled by water from the Cashaqua creek, which has a fall of ten or twelve feet.
The saw-mill is located on the same stream about half a mile above the grist-mill. It was built about 1860 by Isaac Hall and David LaRue, who operated it till the death of Mr. LaRue, July 8, 1876, when Mr. Hall purchased the latter's interest, and still operates it. The inill contains one circular log saw. The creek at this point has a fall of about nine feet. A former saw and lath mill at this place, owned by J. P. Dodge, was swept off bodily and completely by the great flood of Sep- tember, 1861, which nearly equalled that of 1835.
The Tuscarora cheese factory was built in the spring of 1877, by a stock company, who still own it. It receives from 1,000 to 6,000 pounds of milk per day. There are two other factories in the town; the Johnson factory, a small one, located near the Shaker settlement; and the Genesee River cheese factory, which was built, and is still owned by a stock company, about 1874, and re- ceives somewhat more milk than the Tuscarora factory.
The Tuscarora House was built in 1841, by John and David LaRue, who kept it until 1860, since which time it has been kept by Samuet La- shell. The first tavern in the village, which forms the rear part of the present hotel, was built about fifty-five years ago, by Wm. Babcock.
The First Presbyterian Church of Tuscarora was organized in 1839, by Rev. Israel Hammond, with eleven members of the Dutch Reformed order. January 20, 1844, it was incorporated as The First Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of Mt. Morris. At this time Israel Hammond was the pastor, and had been from the organization. Aaron Conover, Garret VanArsdale, Peter Van-
Nest and William Howell were the elders; and John L. Tallman, Aaron Hall, Abraham S. Thomp- son and Stephen Birch, deacons. Says Hotchkin : "The church was organized as a Presbyterian church, and named the Second Presbyterian Church of Mt. Morris, February 26, 1846. The number of members in November of that year was thirty-six. The church was received under the care of the Presbytery of Ontario June 2, 1846. Rev. Israel Hammond was five years the pastor of the church while it was connected with the Re- formed Dutch denomination, and during this period the church was aided in the support of its pastor by the Synod's Board of Missions."*
October 25, 1852, Stephen Birch, Wm. N. Hall, Aaron Conover, William Yules, Isaac VanDeven- ter, William VanDeventer, William Post and Rev. Thomas S. Dewing met for the purpose of re-incorporating. Rev. Thomas S. Dewing was then pastor. Stephen Birch and Wm. N. Hall were chosen to preside, and James Concklin, Wm. N. Hall and Isaac VanDeventer were elected trus- tees. The name was then changed to " The Pres- byterian congregation of Tuscarora."
In 1870, the church united with the Presby- terian church at Union Corners, in the west edge of West Sparta, and January 2, 1871, the combined organization elected as first trus- tees ; Hezekiah Johnson, L. J. Colburn, R. R. Concklin, from the Tuscarora congregation, and Wm. Slaight, Andrew Suydam and Peter D. Green, from the Union Corners congregation. Wmn. E. Jones was then the pastor, and continued such till September, 1873. John Jones, then located at Geneseo, next supplied the pulpit for a few months and was followed by Rev. T. Dwight Hunt, then the pastor at Nunda, who supplied the pulpit for six months. This union between the two churches was dissolved in the spring of 1874.
The church was built in 1844. The church now numbers ninety-eight members. The present pas- tor is Rev. John Mitchell, who has served them about a year. Mr. Mitchell is also the superin- tendent of the Sunday-school, the average attend- ance at which, as reported in January, 1880, was ninety-one.
The Free Methodist Church of Tuscarora was organized in August, 1875, with about thirty mem- bers, by Rev. R. M. Snyder, the first pastor, who had held services from March previous, and sus- tained pastoral relations two years. He was silc- ceeded by Rev. Wm. Southworth, who remained * Hotchkin's History of Western New York, pp. 582, 583.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
till the fall of 1880. Services have been held in the school house since the organization. The present number of members is seventeen.
BROOKS GROVE.
Brooks Grove, an early post-village, is located in the south part of the town, on the main road from Mt. Morris to Nunda. Its derives its name from having been the place of residence of one of Mt. Morris' nost substantial farmers and intelligent and trusted business men-Gen. Micah Brooks *- a son of David Brooks, A. M., of Cheshire, Conn., the latter of whom was a graduate of Yale College, a member of the Connecticut Legislature at the time of Burgoyne's surrender, and a delegate to the State Convention that adopted the United States Constitution at Hartford. In 1796, Micah Brooks, who was born in Cheshire, Conn., in 1775, and edu- cated by his father, visited the Genesee country on a tour of exploration, and again in the fall of 1797.
In 1823, in connection with Jellis Clute and John B. Gibson, he purchased of Mary Jemison the major part of the Gardeau Tract, a fine por- tion of which he selected for a farm and residence in the locality which bears his name, where he died July 7, 1857. During his residence here he ex- erted a marked influence upon the agricultural and other interests of the town and vicinity-an in- fluence perpetuated by his sons Lorenzo H. Brooks, of Caneadea, and Micah W. Brooks, the latter of whom resides on the homestead farm and is the present postmaster at Brooks Grove, an office to which he was appointed in January, 1862. The residence of the late Gen. Brooks was destroyed by fire in the summer of 1875.
"The history of Micah Brooks," says Turner, "furnishes a remarkable instance of a man well edu- cated, and yet unschooled, for," he adds, "he never enjoyed in all, a twelve months of school tuition ! The small library of his father, a good native intellect, intercourse with the world, a lauda- ble ambition and self-reliance, supplied the rest." He was a "successful teacher," a "competent Justice and Judge," an able debater, and " the author of able essays upon internal improvements and other subjects." Even in his old age he was "a vigorous writer, and a frequent contributor to the public press."t
RIDGE. Ridge is a hamlet containing a Methodist church,#
* See portrait and biography of Gen. Micah Brooks on another page.
t Pioneer History of Phelps & Gorham's Purchase, pp. 197,198
# This Church is on the same charge as Mt. Morris, and has been noticed in connection with that Church.
a blacksmith shop and a wagon shop. Jonathan Shank, who keeps the blacksmith shop, also keeps the post-office. It is about midway between Mt. Morris and Brooks' Grove, on the road from the former village to Nunda.
WAR RECORD .- The military record of Mt. Mor- ris is very incomplete; while the record of the legislative action of the town in regard to the part taken by it in the war of the Rebellion is even more - so. The latter, with the exception of a single item, relates wholly to the provision made for the indi- gent families of volunteer soldiers from this town, and even in that respect it is evidently incomplete. But such facts as we have been able to glean from these sources, and additionally from the partially preserved columns of the local press of that period we give, regretting our inability to give more ample and exact information in regard to this important and interesting portion of the town's history. Hap- pily we are able to gather the earliest action of the town in this eventful period from the columns of The Livingston Union of April 22, 1861, and sub- sequent early action from later issues.
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