USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of the Fire lands, comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 36
USA > Ohio > Huron County > History of the Fire lands, comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 36
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ANSEL BAKER.
Thomas Baker, the father of the subject of this notice, was a native of Massachusetts. In 1803 he removed with his family to Lafayette, Onondaga Co., N. Y., where Ansel was born, Ang. 4, 1818, being the eighth in a family of ten children. When fourteen years of age he went to live with a married sister in Lafayette, with whom he remained until he was twenty-one. He cast his first vote, at the Presidential election in 1840, for Gen. Harrison, and the next day started on his journey to the distant West, as Ohio was then regarded. After his arrival there he began to work by the month at the hard work of clearing of that early time; working thus in the summer, and teaching school during the win- ter months, getting forty dollars for a term of three months. At the close of his school-teaching he began work upon the farm for Daniel A. Baker, now of the First National Bank of Norwalk, at eleven dollars per month, continuing two years, at the ex- piration of which he married Martha S. Foster, daughter of Moses S. Foster, of Peru township, Huron Co., who came from Vermont in 1832. She was born Dec. 21, 1823. After his marriage he rented the farm of his former employer, Mr. Baker, for two years, when he moved to the farm upon which he now resides, in the southeast part of Nor- walk township, having made his purchase some four
or five years previous. When he began there this part of the township was very new, the nearest im- provement being that of Ezra Wait, west of him, which was then the eastern end of the road. His first purchase of land was fifty-four acres, for which he paid eight dollars per acre. He has since added, and now owns two hundred acres, paying seventy dollars per acre for the last purchase.
His wife died Sept. 20, 1878, having borne him six children, who are all living: Mary Frances, born Jan. 11, 1848, married Chester Robbins in the fall of 1869, and resides on the southeast corner farm of this township; Moses F., born Nov. 26, 1849, has his second wife, and lives in Rice Co., Kan., where he was one of the first settlers; Nor- man, born Ang. 26, 1855, married Jennie Adams, May 15, 1878, and occupies the farm with his father. Charles Eri, born Jan. 15, 1860, Lewis, born Oct. 4, 1863, and Albert Thomas, born July 21, 1870, are living at home.
Mrs. Fanny Foster, the mother of the deceased wife of Mr. Baker, has lived with her son-in-law about twenty years. Her husband died a few years after his settlement in Peru. Mrs. Foster is now aged nearly eighty-nine years, and is entirely help- less, having sustained an accident to one of her limbs some twelve years since.
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
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ber of judicious married ladies. They had, from the first of September, 1863, to the first of November, 1864, forty-nine different families as beneficiaries, furnishing to each new material, according to their need, in value from two dollars and fifty-two cents, the lowest sum, to sixty-one dollars and nineteen cents, the highest. Total amount raised during that time, one thousand eight hundred and forty dollars and eighty-two cents; total expended; one thousand four hundred and ninety-six dollars and ninety-nine cents. They also sent forward various contributions, as sympathy prompted, to the soldiers. In November 1864, they organized as a regular soldiers' aid society. specially voting to retain their own distinctive name. Officers: Mrs. S. T. Worcester, president; Mrs. T. W. Christian and Miss S. Rowland, vice-presidents; Miss Lizzie Gallup, recording secretary; Miss Mary Wick- ham, corresponding secretary; and Mrs. W. M. Cline, treasurer. They began this year with three hundred and forty-three dollars and eighty-three cents, the overplus of last year. They continued to acquire as well as expend, so that at their last regular meeting in May, 1865, they had forwarded in all, thirty-seven boxes, barrels or kegs, of hospital stores, three hun- dred dollars in cash, and had in possession or expect- ancy, four hundred and sixty dollars. To this sum they added the net gain of a subsequent series of tableaux, and eventually presented to the young mens' library, then being established, the sum of nine hundred dollars. With the remainder they purchased, framed and suitably lettered the two engravings entitled "The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation," and " Washington Irving and His Friends," and presented them to the grammar school, from which many of their tableau performers had been taken. Total funds raised and expended, three thousand nine hundred and thirty-two dollars and ninety-three cents.
MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION.
The Soldiers Memorial association was organized to perpetuate the memories of our noble dead, who served or suffered for our common country during her wars. The organization was perfected on the 20th of July, 1877, with the following officers: Col. C. P. Wickham, 55th O. V. I., president; Chas. W. Lee, U. S. N., vice-president; David T. Hall, 14th O. V. I., secretary; Baxtor Trevor, treasurer; Col. H. Kellogg, Mrs. J. F. Dewey, and Miss Lottie Gibbs, executive committee.
The association has annually decorated the graves of their fallen comrades, on the 30th of May each year, with appropriate services.
MASONIC FRATERNITY.
MT. VERNON LODGE, NO. 64, F. AND A. M.
Dispensation to work was granted by Brother John Snow, Most Worshipful Grand Master, April 10 1821; the charter was granted December 12, 1. L. 5821, A. D. 1821, to Timothy Baker, Platt Bene-
dict, John D. Haskins, Schuyler Vanrensselaer, Amos Woodward, Daniel Tilden, Enos Gilbert, Icha- bod Marshall, David Underhill and David Gibbs.
WORSHIPFUL MASTERS .- Timothy Baker, 1821 to 1825; Platt Benedict, 1826; Timothy Baker, 1827; Theodore Baker, 1828; no record from May 26, 1828, to April 30, 1834; Platt Benedict, 1834 to 1841; Benjamin Carman, 1842; no record from January 24, 1842, to February 26, 1844; James R. Norton, 1844; Platt Benedict, 1845; James R. Norton, 1846; John P. Worstell, 1842; Eli Barnum, 1848 to 1851; Oliver True, 1852; M. R. Brailey, 1853 and 1854; S. F. Rogers, 1855; R. W. Beckwith, 1856; D. M. Bar- nnm, 1857; Oscar Welch, 1858; Marshall O. Wag- goner, 1859; Oscar Welch, 1860; Horace Kellogg, 1861: James S. Felton, 1862; John H. Powers, 1863 to 1865; Oscar Welch, 1866; J. H. F. Weirs, 1867 and 1868; T. P. Bishop, 1869; J. H. F. Weirs, 1870, T. P. Bishop, 1871 to 1873; O. A. White, 1874 to 1876; C. M. Wilcox, 1877 and 1878; O. A. White, 1879.
The present officers are, O. A. White, W. M .; T. L. Williams, S. W .; J. D. Cook, J. W .; W. Suhr, Treas .; G. W. Shultz, Sec .; R. H. Burlin, S. D .: J. H. Weirs, J. D .; P. Ganung, Tyler.
HURON ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER, NO. I.
December 13, 1820, a dispensation was issued by the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Ohio to Timothy Baker, David Underhill, Frederick Fally, Rodolphus Morse, David Gibbs, Schuyler Vanrensse- laer. Platt Benedict, Wm. Hall and Jacques Hubbard, to form a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. The Royal Arch degree was conferred the first time Octo- ber 25, 1820, upon E. Whittlesey, Samuel Spencer and Moses Farwell.
December 15, 1821, a charter was issued to the above named companions, constituting Huron Royal Arch Chapter, No. 7, in due form. Timothy Baker appointed First High Priest; David Underhill, First King; Platt Benedict, First Seribe.
The first election of officers was held December 20, 1822. Timothy Baker, elected High Priest; David Underhill, King; Platt Benedict, Scribe; S. Van- rensselaer, C. of H .; E. Cook, P. S .; Amos Woodward, R. A. C .; J. D. Haskins, 1st V .; M. Farwell, 2nd V .; L. Fay, 3rd V .; J. Marshall, Treasurer: David Gibbs, Secretary; H. P. Morse, Guard.
Early in 1822, the subject of building a Masonic hall was talked of, but did not assume any definite form until January, 1824, when a committee was appointed to confer with like committees from Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 64, and Norwalk Academy, to make arrangements to build a Masonic hall. March, 1824, the committee made their report; when the Chapter appointed a building committee, with power to act, and the Treasurer ordered to pay to the build- ing committee two hundred dollars. Here the pro- ject seems to have died, as we find no records of any action thereon.
148
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
The Chapter held its regular meetings and did a great deal of work until November, 1828, when, in consequence of the anti-masonic movement, it sus- pended work, and soon after surrendered its charter to the Grand Chapter.
Timothy Baker was the presiding officer from the organization to November. 1827, when Platt Bene- diet was elected High Priest, which position he held at the time the charter was surrendered.
In 1848, the Grand Chapter returned the old charter to the companions of Huron Royal Arch Chapter, when they commenced holding regular meetings, Platt Benediet being the High Priest, in which position he was continued until 1853.
March 1, 1854, a committee was appointed to con- fer with a like committee from Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 64, to make such arrangements as they might deem proper to build a new hall in the Whittlesey academy building.
June 24. 1854, St. John's day was celebrated by laying the corner stone of Whittlesey academy build- ing. June 24, 1858, the new masonie hall was dedi- cated.
Since the reorganization in 1848, to the present time, Huron Royal Arch Chapter, No. 4, has con- tinned to hold its meetings regularly, and is now in a flourishing condition, numbering nearly one hundred members.
Its present officers are Wm. Suhr, High Priest; T. P. Bishop, King: G. M. Darling, Seribe; C. Close, C. of H .: Wm. Rutherford, P. S .; M. A. MeIntyre, R. A. C .; C. G. Drake, 1st V .: John Pettys, 2nd V .: A. N. Pebbles, 3rd V .: N. H. Pebbles, Treasurer: J. D. Cook. Secretary: E. A. Pray, Chaplain: P. Ganung, Guard.
NORWALK COUNCIL ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS, NO. 24 F. & A. M.
October 29, A. D. 1855. a dispensation was issued by the Grand Puissant Grand Master of the Grand Council of the State of Ohio, directed to Platt Bene- diet, Wm. C. Huestis, H. V. Bogart, J. S. Felton, H. Bromley, Samuel Neff, B. F. Gray, M. R. Brailey, L. Wood, A. Hamilton, T. Gibson, C. Buek and W. HI. C'oueh.
October 16, 1857, a charter was issued to the above named companions constituting Norwalk Council Royal and Seleet Masters, No. 24, in due form. Platt Benediet, appointed first "Thrice Illustrious Mas- ter," in which office he continued until the time of his death in October, 1866.
The following named companions have been elected : 'T. I. Masters, James S. Felton, for the year 1867; Wm. Suhr, 1868-70; Wm. A. Mack, 1870; Coleman . Close, 1871-4: Wm. Suhr, 1844-79. Present officers, Wm. Suhr. "Thrice Illustrious Master;" George M. Darling, "Deputy Master;" Nelson H. Pebbles, "Prin- cipal Conductor of the Work;" Horace Kellogg, "Cap- tain of the Guard:" John H. Pettys, Treasurer; Ethan
A. Pray, Recorder; Asher F. Rowland, "Conductor of the Couneil;" Peter Ganung. Sentinel.
NORWALK LODGE.
Norwalk Lodge, No. 467. Free and Accepted Ma- sons, was granted a dispensation by the Most Wor- shipful Grand Master of the State of Ohio, viz: Alexander H. Newcomb, on the 12th day of July, A. D., 18;2, on the petition of George W. Skyrm, S. E. Carrington, William H. Couch, Walter Pettys, M. M. Perkins, W. O. Smith, William Arnold, Omar Bailey, George M. Darling. H. C. Edwards, Thomas Smith and Irving K. Cole. The dispensation ap- pointed Walter Pettys, W. M., S. E. Carrington, S. W., and George W. Skyrm J. W., until the time of the regular annual election of officers. The Wor- shipful Masters of this Lodge have been as follows, viz: Walter Pettys, from July 12, 1822, to December 12, 1822; William A. Maek, from December, 1872, to December, 18:2; O. Prentiss, from December, 1877, to December, 1878, and from December, 1878, now serving, L. C. Laylin. The officers, in full, at the present time are as follows: L. C. Laylin, W. M .; John Harley, S. W .; A. L. Osborn, J. W .; George M. Darling, Treas .; E. W. Gilson, See .; C. L. Merry, S. D .; F. H. Boalt, J. D .; Walter Pettys. T.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.
Norwalk Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar, was organized February 8, 1869, under dispensation of the Grand Commandery of the State of Ohio, Sir Heman Ely. of Elyria. being at the time R. E. G. Commander. The following named Sir Knights were the charter members: I. S. Felton, M. O. Waggoner, J. W. Develin, H. S. Mitchell, J. H. F. Weirs, W. A. Maek, W. C. Hustis, E. A. Pray. H. O. Wadlie, William Suhr, Ira Lake, Major MeIntyre, C. N. Thorpe. At the next stated meeting of the Grand Commandery a charter was granted under date of October 15, 1869. Sir J. S. Felton was appointed by Grand Commander Ely first Eminent Commander. The Commandery now numbers sixty two members. and the following named Knights are its officers: H. S. Mitchell, E. C .: L. L. Chandler, Gen .; O. W. Williams, C. G .; L. C. Laylin. Prelate; C. L. Merry, S. W .; M. S. Hill, J. W,; C. R. Bostwick, Treas. ; C. W. Flinn, Rec .: E. A Pray, Std. B .; O. Prentiss, Swd. B .; A. F. Rowland, Warder; Major MeIntyre, Sentinel.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
Huron Lodge, No. 37. I. O. O. F., was instituted at Norwalk, April 14, 1845, by authority of a charter granted by the Right Worthy Grand Lodge of Ohio, to the following charter members: Liberty Waite, A. Powers, N. F. Benson. T. C. Evans and Franklin Parker. And the following members were added by initiation: Noah Newton, Jr., E. P. Cheesebrough, Thomas Powers, Timothy Baker, John F. Day, Iliram K. Steele, Benj. F. Brown, Erastus Gray,
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
John S. Roby, William D. Perkins and James Sharpe. The lodge having been thus successfully launched on its mission of friendship, love and truth, was pros- perous, and included in its membership many citizens of prominence, among others Dr. J. Tifft, C. B. Stickney, J. M. Farr, S. L. Hatch, W. W. Redfield, Hiram Rose, J. F. Dewey, G. T. Stewart, P. N. Schuyler, J. H. Rule, W. O. Parker, Franklin Saw yer, M. F. Wooster, John Cline, S. H. Berry, R. A. Pantlind, W. O. Abbott, Edwin H. Brown, B. P. Smith and many others. Since its organization it has admitted three hundred and sixty-one members, and at this date (May 10, 1879,) has one hundred and ten members. In furtherance of its charitable mis- sion it has expended twenty-one thousand dollars; and has now invested in real and personal property, and in its widows' and orphans' fund, about ten thousand dollars, all of which is pledged to the bene- ficient purposes of the friendly order of American Odd Fellowship.
SONS OF TEMPERANCE.
The Norwalk Division, No. 227, Sons of Temper- ance, was chartered and instituted on the 3d day of June, 1847, with the following charter members: Samuel T. Worcester, Geo. T. Cole, James N. Good- hue, Geo. Gough, Chas. A. Preston, A. R. Berry, Timothy Baker, Jr., Phillip N. Schuyler, Erastus Gray, Charles E. Pennewell, Henry M. Hotchkiss, A. S. Curtiss, Gideon T. Stewart, Daniel A. Baker and Edwin H. Brown. The first elected officers were, Samuel T. Worcester, W. P .; Daniel A. Baker, W. A .: Gideon T. Stewart, R. S .; E. H. Brown, A. R. S .; A. S. Curtiss, F. S., Timothy Baker, Jr., Treas. ; P. N. Schuyler, Con .; A. R. Berry, A. C .: Benj. Ellis, I. S .; Addison C. Brown, O. S.
The organization of this division was mainly due to the enterprise of Mr. G. T. Stewart, who is and always has been a zealous worker in the temperance cause. The division is its own historian. The record of more than one thousand six hundred meetings, and of thirty-three years of associated life, with all their trials, sacrifices, doubts, fears, hopes and tri- umphs, lies before us. Thirty-three years ago, on the first Tuesday evening of June, 1847, this division was instituted in the Odd Fellows hall, on Mechanic street (now Whittlesey avenne). The division con- tinned to hold its meetings in that hall for over three. years, n bond of fraternal sympathy springing up between the two orders which has continued to this day. During these three years the division had accu- mulated sufficient funds to purchase and fit up a hall for its own use, in the second story of the frame building then standing next door of the Norwalk Branch Bank of the State of Ohio, on Main street, over the store occupied by Jenney & Peters, clothing store, which was publicly dedicated on the evening of August 13, 1850. Here the division held its meet- ings for five years, until the morning of October 13, 1855, when the building was discovered to be on fire,
and all was reduced to ashes-furniture, library, regalia, books and papers-except the records of the recording scribe, which were at his house. The meetings were held at the county auditor's office for about four months, and on February 6, 1856, a new hall was fitted up over C. E. Newman's store. The former hall having been insured for about six hundred dollars, and the division having an interest in the ground on which it stood, was enabled to lease the new hall on long time, and fit it up in good style. Here it continued to meet for more than eleven years, until June, 1867, when it dedicated a fine hall in the third story of C. E. Newman's new brick block, and took a lease for twenty years, which it paid in ad- vance, and expended about one thousand dollars in fitting up, finishing it and publicly celebrating its twentieth anniversary. The number of members in good standing was five hundred and twenty-two, hav- ing nearly one-eighth of the entire population of Norwalk at that time. This number does not include two hundred and twenty members of the Fifty-Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who were in camp here. and were initiated before they entered the field. Their names remain in perpetual honor on the records of this division. Of the former members sixty vol- nnteered in the Union army, and a number held official commissions.
The apathy which fell upon the temperance cause throughout the country, the financial depression and political excitement resulting from the war, caused a decline in the membership, until, in the spring of 1826, it disposed of its hall and suspended weekly meetings. During the year ending May 1, 1877. the division held monthly meetings at the house of Past Worthy Patriarch Erastus Gray, who set apart one of his rooms for its use. On the 1st of May it leased a hall of Mr. Moses Yale, occupied by the locomotive engineers, and resumed regular weekly meetings, and in four weeks increased its membership to fifty-six. Its trustees deeming it proper leased the large hall in Patrick's block, ad- joining the Methodist church, for ten years, paying the rent in advance for the whole term, and after suitably fitting it up have saved over five hundred dollars for future operations. The division now numbers over two hundred active members, and is increasing weekly, ranking as the banner division of Ohio, numerically and financially. It has had the honor of having three of its members. David H. Pease, Thomas P. Bishop and Mrs. Harriet N. Bishop, exalted to the office of grand worthy patriarch of the State of Ohio. Mrs. H. N. Bishop, the present grand worthy patriarch, is the first lady who has had this honor conferred upon her in the international juris- diction. Norwalk may well feel proud of her divi- sion of the Sons of Temperance.
SCHOOLS.
The first school house for many miles was built in the fail of 1816, a few rods from the township line
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
between Ridgefield and Norwalk, on lot number two of Ridgefield. It stood upon the bank on the left hand after crossing the bridge upon the present road to Peru, about half a mile from the bridge. and was made of logs. The first teacher was Charles Seymour Hale, son of General Hale, of Herkimer: the next was Aun Boalt, sister of C. L. Boalt: and the next, Tamar Palmer. The scholars were Asher, James, Miner, Lyman and Manley Cole: David, Isaac, Aurelia and Louisa Underhill; Alanson, Alva and Betsey Pixley: Jonas and Eliza Ann Benedict; Almira, Daniel and John Morse; Mary Ann Morse and others. In September of the same year, Peter Tice and his son John put up a small framed building, the first framed building in the region, upon the flats in the bend of the road as it turns toward Peru. and used it for a store. Afterward, when the Tices removed to Nor- walk, it was used by Judge Baker as a dwelling house. and subsequently became a school house, as a sub- stitute for that above described. Oliver Prentiss, Zacharias Marion and Horace Johnson taught in it at different times. The building was afterward re- moved to Norwalk and used as a wagon shop; then converted into a dwelling, and used by different fami- lies, among which was that of the late Hon. J. M. Root and wife, of Sandusky City, whose first house- keeping experienee commenced in it about 1835. Again it was removed to the first lot next north of Whittlesey avenue school house, and then used as a dwelling by several different families, among them that of Hon. C. S. Parker. present Ohio State sen- ator. About fifteen years ago it again became restless and changed its location to Prospect street, where it now rests for a time, the second dwelling honse south of the railroad track.
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Beside these, school was taught by J. A. Jennings, afterward doctor, in a brick-maker's shanty, on the south side of what is now Seminary street, and a few rods east of Benedict avenne, and later in a framed building standing where the high-school building now . stands, but now moved to South street and occupied as a dwelling. School was taught also by Doetor Amos B. Harris, in the old court house, probably parts of two two or three years, but the dates during these first ten years are uncertain, and our information is not posi- tive until, in October, 1826, an association of individ- uals was organized, under the name of "The Presi- dent, Trustees, etc., of the Norwalk Academy," having previously purchased of Elisha Whittlesey four lots. known then as numbers thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty and forty-one, and being the same lots now ocenpied by our high-school building, who erected and partially finished a three story brick building upon these lots, the first and second stories of which were designed for the purposes of the academy, and the third story for a masonic lodge. The first and second stories, though far from complete, were occupied and the academy opened in December of the same year (1826) with Rev. (. P. Bronson, rector of St. Paul's Church, as princi- pal, and Rev. S. A. Bronson, Abram Bronson. Mr. War-
ner and Josiah Botsford, assistants. A female teacher, Miss Bostwick, was soon after added, who taught ornamental branches-drawing, painting. etc. At the end of the first quarter. the principal reported the number of pupils in attendance at ninety. The prices fixed for tuition were as follows: Reading, writing and spelling per quarter, one dollar and seventy-five cents; if paid in two weeks, one dollar and fifty cents; arithmetic and English grammar, two dollars; paid in two weeks, one dollar and seventy-five cents; higher branches of education, three dollars; paid in two weeks, two dollars and fifty cents; Greek and Latin, four dollars: paid in two weeks, three dollars and fifty cents. Beside the tuition, each pupil was required to furnish one-half cord of wood or twenty-five cents in money, toward warming the building.
At the close of the first year, the trustees reported one hundred scholars in attendance as the average for the year. The academy continued under the super- intendence of Mr. Bronson until May, 1828, when he was succeeded by Mr. Henry Tucker, a graduate of Union College. Owing to the difficulty of sustaining the school, an effort was made to increase the number of pupils by reducing still lower the price of tuition. The salaries of the superintendents and assistants depended upon the amount the principal could collect for tuition, which rendered their compensation very nncertain and generally very unsatisfactory. Mr. Tucker remained until the fall of that year (1828) when he was succeeded by Mr. John Kennan, of Herki- mer, New York. There was no lack of ability in these different principals to establish for the academy a high reputation. but it was evidently premature. The country was too sparsely populated and the people too poor to support the expenses necessary for its suc- cessful continuance, and we find, in October of 1829, a consolidation of the academy with the district schools, with Mr. Kennan as principal. The number of pupils was thus increased, but even then the salary of the prin- cipal amounted to less than four hundred dollars per year. Mr. Kennan continned in charge of the school until the fall of 1830, when he resigned his position, and Rev. Mr. Johnson, formerly principal of the Classical and Young Ladies' Boarding School, of Utiea, New York, succeeded him in the superintend- ency. The population of the Norwalk corporation at this time was three hundred and ten. The board of school examiners was appointed by the court, and consisted at this time of Ebenezer Andrews. Doctor Amos. B. Harris, Moses Kimball and L. Bradley.
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