History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio, Part 171

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1408


USA > Ohio > Lucas County > Toledo > History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio > Part 171


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Among those of the English race who settled in the Township prior to the Indian treaty of 1833, may be mentioned Joseph Prentice, who settled on the East bank of the River in 1825 ; Luther Whitmore, 1829; Robert Gardner. 1830 ; Hiram Brown, 1831 ; Gabriel Crane, 1831 ; Ol- iver Stevens, 1832; Elias Fassett, 1833. We make the following mention of these pioneers and their families in the order named :


Joseph Prentice came to Port Lawrence in 1817, and was interested in the original Port Lawrence Company, as elsewhere stated. Ile, with his two sons, William and Augustus, and his wife and daughter, rowed a skiff from Buf- falo, bringing with them such household goods as they could make room for in one small boat. For his settlement he selected the Southeast portion of the tract on the East side of the River, to which he removed with his family in 1825, and where he resided until his death, which occurred March 6, 1845. His widow, Mrs. Eleanor Prentice, survived him about 10 years.


Frederick, a son of Joseph Prentice by a second marriage, was born at Port Lawrence December 6, 1822, and was 13 years old when his father died. He had been brought up without education, save what his mother gave him, there being no Schools nearer than the River Raisin and Fort Wayne; yet he became an enterprising, energetic business man. Aiter his father's death, the support of the family de- volved on him. He had been brought up among the Indians, an Indian woman having been his


855


OREGON TOWNSHIP.


nurse, and he had acquired a better knowledge of the Indian language than of the English. Ile therefore became an interpreter for Indian Agents and traders, which, with hunting and fishing, enabled him to support the family com- fortably. Hecontinued in this occupation until he was 18, when he engaged in the business of supplying the Toledo market and the River Steamboats with wood, and in getting out ship and building timber. In 1849 he built a Steam Saw mill on the East side, just below Bridge Street, which he operated for a number of years. Ile made extensive purchases of wild lands in Oregon Township, taking off the timber and selling in limited tracts to actual settlers ; and while making the business profitable to himself, hastened the development of that portion of the county. In 1857 he met with financial reverses which compelled him to compromise with his creditors. Since then he has had a varied experience of losses and success ; has made a good deal of money and spent a good deal. His home now is in New York City.


Inther Whitmore, with his family of six chil- dren, came from Worcester County, Massachu- setts, and in April, 1825, settled in Wood County, spending the first year on the East bank of the Manmee, opposite Turkey Foot Rock. In 1826, moved to the Vance farm; in 1827, to the Kee farm, at Fort Meigs ; in 1828, to Marengo; and in 1829, to River Tract No. 84, where Luther Whitmore, Jr., now lives. The six children were : Leonard, Mary Ann, Luther, Betsey B., Walters, July Ann (so named from having been born on the 4th of July, while her parents were temporarily so- journing in Canada). The oldest (Leonard) was married with Mary Jenison, daughter of Victor Jenison, who settled in Perrysburg in 1818. The children of Victor Jenison were Nathaniel, Martha, George, Jerusha, Charles V., Mary (Mrs. Leonard Whitmore), Olive (widow of O. G. Howland), Frances, Calista, Harriet (Mrs. L. B. Gunn) and Ralph. Charles V., Olive, Harriet and Ralph are living in East Toledo.


Charles V. Jenison built the first Steam Saw- mill in the Township, on the River bank, on the old plat of "Oregon," in 1836-7, and fur- nished the plank for the first bridge Imilt across the River, at Manmee. In 1837 Mr. Jenison built the Schooner Ottawa, which is still, or has been until quite recently, a sailing Vessel on the Lakes.


Mary Ann Whitmore became the wife of Gabriel Crane, one of the pioneers. Mr. Crane was one of the most prominent and useful citi. zens of the Township, and left three sons- James HI., Henry J. and Amos W .- all living in East Toledo.


Luther Whitmore, Jr., was married with Martha Trask, of Toledo. In early life he lived most of the time for seven years with John Hollister, Indian Agent at Perrysburg,


and was present with him at every annual pay- ment of the Indians for six years. He says: " After the payments the sights were something I shall never forget. There were then at least 300 Indians to one white man in this part of the country.


July Aun Whitmore was married with Syl- vester Brown, a son of the pioneer, Hiram Brown. The latter had been a Tanner and Currier in Monroe, previous to settling in this Township. He had two sons-Sylvester and Augustus-the latter in Omaha, Nebraska; and two daughters-Julia, wife of James Rideout, and Caroline, who died in 1844.


Robert Gardner came from Wayne County, New York, and settled on the East bank of the River in 1831. Ilis son, Nathan Gardner, is now one of the old residents of the Township. There were two daughters -Mrs. Amy Coy, widow of Charles Coy; and Catherine, wife of Stephen Green, of Richfield Township.


Oliver Stevens, one of the oldest settlers, still living, is referred to elsewhere.


Herman Crane was the owner of one of the first Ferry-boats at Toledo, a flat scow capable of carrying teams. In the Spring of 1836, when the freshet carried away the Swan Creek bridge, Mr. Crane ran his Ferry boat for the accommodation of pedestrians and teams in crossing that stream. For a number of years the settlers in Oregon Township living mostly on or near the bank of the River, crossed in their own canoes or boats.


There were no roads in the interior till 1833, and not many till 1840. Those which did exist were very poorly constructed and often im- passable. The first road was the Woodville road, opened to connect the River at East To- ledo with the Western Reserve and Maumee Road. It was only an opening ent through the woods 12 feet wide; and, of course, made a better avenue in Winter than in Spring and Fall. After the organization of the Township in 1837, and from that to 1850, most of the roads within its limits were laid out. At the same meeting of the Board at which the Town- ship was set off, June 11, 1837, the following roads were established, viz .: Numbers 5, 12, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, and ordered recorded in the said numerical order.


Elijah J. Woodruff, a prominent old settler, is still living in the Township, and has served it in an otlicial capacity almost from the time of its organization.


Also should be named, George .B. Treat, Wesley Hicks, son of Lawson Hicks, an early settler; John Consanl, Asa W. Maddocks and others. Mercino and Philander Fox became settlers in Oregon about 1831. The former lived in the Township two or three years, and removed West; the latter died soon after set- tlement. Hiram Vinal, a farmer living on Section 7, Town 10 South of Range & East, settled in the Township in 1833.


856


HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.


The tax duplicate of Lucas County for 1838 contained the following list of residents of Oregon Township, with the description and amount of personal property on which they were taxed for that year :


HORSES AND CATTLE.


Applegate, Joseph, $144. Brown, Jacob, $80.


Brown, Hiram, $24.


Booth, J. H., $24.


Crane, Gabriel, $24.


Consaul, William, $24-


Consaul, John, $72. Denman, Msses, $16.


Franchman, Michael, $24. Hayes, Samuel, $48.


Hicks, Lawson, 824. Jamison, George, $48. Mowoner. - , $128. MeClay, David, $40. Navarre, Peter, $8. Navarre, Robert, $24.


Navarre, James, $160. Navarre, Alexander, $240.


Navarre, Antoine, $96.


*Oregon Steam Mill Co.


Phillips, David, $8.


Prentice, Joseph, $32.


Rino, Aaron B., $88.


Salsbury, Russell, $32.


Treat, George D., $64.


Whitmore, Luther, $40.


+Whitmore, Luther, Jr., $160.


Woodruff, E. J., $24.


"Merchant's Capital, $1.000.


+Including pleasure carriage, $50.


JAMES WRIGHT is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Elns) Wright, and was born at Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, August 20, 1820. Ilis father was for many years en- gaged in Hardware trade, but such was his financial condition, that the son was early obliged to begin the battle of life on his own responsibility. His School privileges were very moderate. While yet a mere boy, he en- gaged to work a farm, but was speedily attracted to Gardening, which he studied with much care, and as to which he gained much knowl- edge which in after life became very valuable to him. In 1860, having by economy and eare, accumulated the requisite means, Mr. Wright lett England for the United States, and came to Toledo. There he was for three years engaged in tile-draining. In 1863 he purchased in Oregon Township three aeres of land upon which he now resides. The condition of the property was by no means assuring for use of Gardening, being wet and nupromising. But under his intelligent management, it grad- ually advanced in condition, until it became one of the most fertile and productive Gardens in the County. By irrigating and draining, he year by year improved the land, meantime making its products pay cost and profits. It is now sate to state, that no tract of land of equal extent in this region, has been as carefully or as successfully managed, as has that. Wells for watering in dry weather, and tiling for drainage in wet weather, together with judi- cious treatment of the soil in cultivation, have steadily developed it to its present remarkable condition. For many years past, the cash sales of products from these three acres have amounted to $1,000 annually Subsequent to his original purchase, Mr. Wright added two acres to his Garden tract, on the opposite side of the road, to which two acres more have since been added


-making seven in all-the entire tract now being in the highest state of cultivation. He was among the first Gardeners in this part of Ohio to produce Celery for market, in which he has been specially successful, his product being generally and well known for its superior qualities. His success in life has been due to his consciencious regard for honesty in deal or to the intelligent, persistent adherence to fixed methods and industry in the pursuit of his business. Mr. Wright was married with Jane Entwistle, in Liverpool, England, in 1845. They had six children, of whom five are now living-four sons and one daughter. The mother dying, Mr. Wright was married with Ann Baines, in England, August 25, 1860, they having one son and two daughters.


TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.


The oldest records of the Township have been lost; and there are now none extant previous to November 10, 1846. At that date George D. Treat was Township Clerk by ap- pointment of the Board of Trustees, consisting of Elijah J. Woodruff and Gabriel Crane. From the Township records and those of the Board of Education, we are able to furnish the follow- ing list of Township officers :


C'LERKS-Leonard Whitmore, 1837-41; Gabriel Crane, 1841-46 ; George D.Treat, 1846; Charles Brown, 1847-48; George D. Treat, 1848-50. Oliver Stevens, 1850; George D. Treat, 1851 ; Ezra Ilowland, 1852-64; Henry L. Phelps, 1864; Sylvester A. Brown, 1865 ; James C. Messer, 1866-69; Thomas Crofts, 1869-73; James C. Messer, 1873-76 ; De Witt Hicks, 1876; Jacob Brand, 1877; James C. Messer, 1877-80; D. W. Ma- ginnis, 1880 82; Alfred Yenger, 1882-87; N. M. Mes- ser, 1887.


TREASURERS-James Maddocks, 1843-46; William Prentice, 1846-55 ; Alonzo Rogers, 1855-57; Oliver Stevens, 1857; John Consaul, 1857-60; Sylvester Brown, 1860-66; Charles A. Crane, 1866-69; James C. Messer, 1869-71; Wesley Hicks, 1871-73; Thomas Crofts, 1873; Victor Metzger, 1877-80 ; Wesley Hicks, 1880-82; George Gladienx, 1882-86; Victor Metzger, 1886; Gottleib Yollin, 1887.


TRUSTEES-Elijah J. Woodruff, Gabriel Crane, 1846; Elijah J. Woodruff, Gabriel Crane, John Con- saul, 1847 ; Asa W. Maddocks, Gabriel Crane, E. J. Woodruff, 1848; John Brown, E. J. Woodruff, Ga- briel Crane, 1849; Orlin Phelps, E. J. Woodruff, Ga- briel Crane, 1850-52; Oliver Stevens, John Consaul, Gabriel Crane, 1852 ; Oliver Stevens, Gabriel Crane, Alonzo Rogers, 1853-55; Charles A. Crane, William W. Consaul, Sylvester Brown, 1855-57; Charles A. Crane, William W. Consaul, Luther Whitmore, 1857; William W. Consaul, Augustus Brown, Horace How- land, 1858; Charles A. Crane, Horace Howland, Syl- vester Brown, 1859 ; Peter B. Porter, Wesley Hicks, James C. Messer, 1860 ; James C. Messer, Wesley Hicks, Michael Debolt, 186t-63; Wesley Hicks, Da- rius Blandin, Michael Debolt, 1863 ; Charles A. Crane, James Rideout, A. Benedict, 1864; J. L. Wynn, Charles A. Crane, Albert Royce, 1865 ; J. L. Wynn, Wesley Hicks, Frederick Bayer, 1866; Peter B. Por- ter, Albert Royce, Jacob Lungendolph, 1867 ; Edward Burt, James Crofts, Gilbert Bartley, 1868-70; Charles A. Crane, James Crofts, William W. Consaul, 1870; Charles A. Crane, Wm. E. Cummings, C. F. Roberts,


James Wright-


Charles Coy


OREGON TOWNSHIP.


1871; Charles A. Crane, Cutler F. Roberts, James Crofts, 1872; George J. Miller, Gilbert C. Bartley, Edward Burt, 1873: Wesley Hicks, Edward Burt, Gilbert (. Bartley, 1874; Charles 11. Brown, Thomas Wynn, Patrick Mellenry, 1875; William Nixon, Gil- bert C. Bartley, Horace Coy, 1876; George Gladieux, Enos Mominee, Conrad Smithlin, 1877 ; Daniel Ma- ginnis, George Navarre, John B. Koline, 1878-80; 1). B. Maginnis, Gilbert Burr, George Navarre, 1880; D. B. Maginnis, James S. Metzger, George Navarre, 1881-83; Amos Debolt, Charles Cook, George J. Mil- ler. Jolin Mominee, 1884-86 ; George J. Miller, Fred. Matthews, Lloyd Albertson, 1886; Enos Momince, 1887.


JUSTICES OF THE PEACE-Joseph Prentice, 1837; Oliver Stevens, John Consaul, Jr., 1840; John Con- saul, Jr., 1843; Elijah J. Woodruff, William Prentice, 1846; Elijah J. Woodruff, George D. Treat, 1849; Benjamin Bixby, George D. Treat, 1852; Alonzo Rogers, 1853; David Crane, 1855; Ezra Howland, 1856; Sanmel S. Curtis, 1857 ; Horace Howland, 1858; Amasa Benediet, 1862; Ezra Howland, 1863; George D. Treat, 1865; Oliver Stevens, 1867; George D. Treat, 1868; Stephen Rideont, 1870; Peter B. Porter, 1872; H. 11. Dowe, 1874; David W. Maginnis, William Nixon, 1875 ; John L. Brown, 1876; David W. Ma- ginnis, 1878; George Southwick, 1879; David W. Maginnis, 188]; John B. Kohne, 1882; David W. Maginnis, 1884; Jonathan Wynn, L. B. Bailey, 1887.


Oregon Township raised $4,912.50 to furnish its quota of the 300,000 men called for in De- cember, 1864.


SCHOOLS.


The settlers built a log School-house on the Woodville road in 1834. In this the first School in the Township was taught by Elizur Stevens, a brother of Oliver Stevens. Mr. Stevens went into the " Patriot War" and was captured by the British and sent to Van Dieman's Land. He afterwards returned, broken in health, and died at his father's in Lebanon, New York.


After the organization of the Township (Sep- tember 10, 1837), fourSchool Districts were laid out. The amounts of money then distributed among the respective Districts, were as follows: No. 1, 826 24; No. 2, $10.05; No. 3, $20.65; No. 4, $13.29; total, 870,35.


Among the early Directors of Schools in the Township we find the names of Lawson Hicks and Rariel Salisbury, District two, 1839; Eli- jah J. Woodruff, George D. Treat, District three, 1839; John Consant and Robert Den- man, District three, 1840 ; Oliver Stevens, Law. son licks, Ebenezer Ward, District two, 1841 ; George D. Treat, John Consanl, Jr., James Maddocks, District three, 1841; Joseph W. Prentice, Francis W. Jenison, Hiram Brown, District one, 1841; Gabriel Crane, Iliram Brown, Hiram Vinal, District one, 1842.


Napoleon Denny commenced teaching in District No. 1, January 11, and continued 1; months, at $12 per month; No. scholars, 23. July Ann Whitmore was employed as Teacher June 21, 1839, and taught eight weeks at a sal- ary of $2.00 per week ; No. scholars, 14.


May 14, 1842, the original four Distriets were. resolved into two.


The enumeration of white youths in the Township October 1, 1842, shows: District No. 1-Males, 26; females, 20. District No. 2- Males, 12; females, 20. Total, 38 males, 10 females.


Under the new act of March 14, 1853, the first School Board consisted of Sylvester Brown, Clerk of the first District ; George D. Treat, Clerk of Sub-District No. two; John L. Brown, Clerk of Sub-District No. three, and Ezra Ilow- land, Township Clerk. They met in April, 1853, and organized by electing George B. Treat, Chairman of the session. One hundred dollars was voted for incidental expenses, and a two-mill tax imposed for tuition.


A fourth District was set off October 22, 1853; and on January 20, 1855, Librarians were appointed to take charge of the School Li- braries.


In 1856 the number of Districts was increased to six, and the number of scholars and division of the School-bonse and tuition funds were as shown below :


Scholars. School-house Fund. Tuition Fund.


No. 1


51


$88 14 $270 96


No. 2


47


81 23


219 71


No. 3


45


77 76


239 03


No. 4


87


150 35


462 22


No. 5


13


22 47 69 03


No. 6


35


60 48


185 93


Total 278 $480 43


$1,476 88


The Township now contains 11 Districts, with School population as follows : Males, 471 ; females, 457; colored, 3; total, 928; between the ages of 16 and 21, 240.


The Oregon Cemetery was laid out by the Trustees of the Township on the West half of Section eight, Town ten, South of Range eight East, March 1, 1856, and contained in the orig- inal płat three acres of ground. An addition was made to it in 1872.


CHURCHES.


The oldest Church in the Township, is that of the Baptists, now in East Toledo. There are no records giving the date of organization, but Mr. Oliver Stevens and others of the first settlers are confident that the Baptists were the first to form an organization in the Township. (In Chapter ii, Part viii, will be found record of other Churches in Oregon.)


CHARLES COY was born in Oxfordshire, England, April 1, 1817, and died after one week's illness, September 15, 1883. The family came to the United States in 1832, and settled in Stark County, Ohio. In May, 1835, they came to what is now Ross Township, Wood County, where Charles has since lived. He is the oldest of three brothers. His life-work was farming, which he pursued with success, mean- time winning and maintaining the highest


55


85S


HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.


respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens. Of an enquiring mind, he sought diligently for such knowledge as promised most assistance in the activities and duties of life. Earnest and economical in management, he was able to pro- vide himself' with ample means for every de- mand. Coming to this region more than 50 years ago, he saw the then solid forest-the Black Swamp-slowly yield to pioneer enter- prise and vigor, and the Wilderness trans- formed to fruitful fields. Toledo, meantime, advanced from a struggling Village to a great commercial City. Himself strictly correct in personal habit, he ever was a friend to virtue and good order in the community -in every respect challenging the esteem of all who knew


him. He was many times called to serve his neighbors in local official positions-as Town- ship Trustee, School Director and Supervisor of Highways. He was at times associated in business ventures with leading men in Toledo, and was recognized as among the most enter- prising of the farmers of the County. In 1852 Mr. Coy was married with Mercy Gardner, daughter of Robert Gardner, who settled in the the Maumee Valley in 1830. They had seven children -Mary Elizabeth, wife of Hiram Egles- ton ; Aliee, who died in infancy; Caroline, wife of Thornton Dixon ; Louisa T., wife of Isaac Rideout; Addie, wife of Frederick Wachter, who died August 31, 1884; Charles Henry, and William O.


PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.


The territory embraced in Providence Town- ship, was formerly part of Wood County. Prior to the advent of white settlers, it was the abode of the Ottawa tribe of Indians. At the be- ginning of the present century, a large Indian Village existed below what was formerly the Village of Providence, near Wolf Rapids; and from the fact of the fine forests, principally of' oak and maple, which abounded in this section, and the rich fields for hunting and fishing in the surrounding country, it is presumed that it had been for many years a favorite Indian resort. About the time of the War of 1812 it is estimated there were 900 Indians in the im- mediate vicinity of the country bordering on the Miami of Lake Erie near the head of the Rapids. Tondaganie (or the Dog), was at the beginning of the present century Chief of the Ottawa tribe, whose Village was located as be- fore stated. He became well known to the earlier settlers along the Manmee, and in the treaty made at Detroit, in 1807, a tract of land six miles square above Roche de Boeuf, includ- ing the Village where he lived, was reserved l'or his tribe.


The earliest white settler in Providence Township, was Peter Manor (or Minor, as often written), a sketch of whose life follows this ar- ticle. He settled there in 1816, and erected a log-cabin near the River, South of the site on which several years later Providence Village was laid out. His son, Francis, still living in the Township, was born four years previously, and now retains clear and vivid recollections of the years passed in a section without a white neigh- bor within a number of miles of his father's residence. Speaking of this period Francis Manor said :


I was born in Maumee, on the 18th May, 1812. About this time war between the United States and the British and Indians commenced, and my father removed his family to Lower Sandusky (now Fre- mont) for safety and protection. But that point, too, was soon deemed insecure, and he removed to Upper


Sandusky (40 miles South), where he continued to reside until hostilities were over. As soon as it was considered safe, we returned to Maumee and moved up the River to Providence, January 1, 1816, where I have resided ever since, knowing no other place as my home. My earliest recollections are of Ottawa Indians, with whom I was familiar until they left their Reservation in 1837. About the only impression that I retain, and the most prominent feature in their character, was their love for strong drink, which made savage drunken carousals very frequent. When unmolested, they were in the main harmless and peaceable, and gave the whites no trouble. From the time of our locating in Providence until their re- moval, I remember no instance in which fear was had on their account, except in the year IS32, when some believed that an Indian outbreak was about to occur, and considerable excitement prevailed along the Maumee. It took but a few days, though, to allay the fears, as the report was plainly false.


For several years following 1816, Peter Manor and family were the only permanent white settlers in the territory now embraced in Prov- idence Township. Mr. Manor gained the good will of his Indian neighbors and was a trusted and respected character among them. He withstood alone for years the terrible hardships and privations of pioneer life, displaying all the courage and fortitude required of those early pioneers who struggled to render the wild and trackless wilderness the abode of a civilized and prosperous people. As a signal mark of the favor in which he was held by the Indians, be was adopted as a son by an Ottawa Chief named Tondaganie, and given the name of Saw- endibans, or the "Yellow Hair." In conse- quence of this relationship to the Ottawas, he was in 1827 granted by the Government a section of' land containing 643 acres, located about the center of the Southern part adjoining the Maumee River of the three-miles square eeded to the United States in 1807 by the treaty made at Detroit. Following is a copy of this deed, now in possession of Francis Manor:


THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. To all to whom these presents shall come, GREETING: Know Ye, That


859


PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.


in pursuance of the eighth article of the Treaty made and concluded at the Foot of the Rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie, between Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur, Commissioners of the United States, with the full power and authority to hold conferences and conclude and sign a treaty or treaties with all or any of the Nations or Tribes of Indians within the boun- daries of the State of Ohio, of and concerning all matters interesting to the United States and the said Nations of Indians, of the one part ; and the Sachems, Chiefs and Warriors of the Wyandot, Seneca, Dela- ware, Shawanee, Poitawatamee, Ottawa and Chip- bewa Tribes of Indians; there is granted by the United States unto Sawen-di-bans, or the Yellow Hair, or Peter Minor, an adopted son of Ton-dag-a-nie, and to his heirs, out of the tract reserved by the Treaty of Detroit in 1807, above Roche de Bouef, a section of land containing 643 acres, on the North side of the Miami River, at the Wolf Rapids, bounded and described as follows, to wit: Beginning at a W. Oak 16 inches in diameter, on the North bank of the Miami River, from which a W. Oak 16 inches in diameter bears North 45 degrees West, distant four links ; thenee North 80 chains to a post, from which a W. Oak 20 inches in diameter bears North 16 de- grees West, distant 23 links, and an Elm 16 inches in diameter bears South 25 degrees East, distant 50 links; thence East 80 chains to a post from which a W. Oak 20 inches in diameter bears North SS degrees West, distant 68 links ; thence South 88 chains and 60 links to a post on the North bank of the Miami River ; thence up the River with the meander thereof to the place of beginning. To have and to hold the said tract with the appurtenances unto the said Sa- wen-di-bans or the Yellow Hair or Peter Minor, and to his heirs forever ; but never to be conveyed by him or his heirs without the permission of the Presi- dent of the United States.




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