History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 185

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1304


USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Wisconsin > Part 185


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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OLE QUAM, carriage painter, Stoughton ; born in Norway in 1855, and, at the age of 12 years, with his parents, emigrated to Dane Co., Wis., and located at Stoughton; he began work for T. G.


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Mandt, as carriage painter, in October, 1872, and has been foreman in the carriage paint-shop since 1877. He was married, in December, 1879, to Anna Johnson, of Stoughton.


CARL RASMUSSEN, manufacturer of boots and shoes, Stoughton; born in Norway in 1844, and in 1860, began the boot and shoe maker's trade, which he continued in Norway till 1866; em- igrating at that time to America, he settled at Stoughton, Wis., where he worked as a journeyman at the trade till 1874, when he became proprietor of a shop, and now gives employment to three men, and does a business which amounts to about $7,000 per year. Mr. Rasmussen was a member of the Village Board for two terms-1876 and 1878; he is a member of the Lutheran Church.


E. E. ROBERTS, farmer, Sec. 14; P. O. Stoughton ; is a native of Connecticut, and was born near Danbury in December, 1810, his father, William Roberts, was born in Fairfield Co .; Conn., April 25, 1782; his mother, Sal me Elwell, was a native of Dutchess Co., N. Y., born March 13, 1789; The family removed in the winter of 1811 to the town of Virgil, Cortland Co., N. Y., where the father of our subject devoted his time principally tr farming ; E. E. went to Warren Co., Ill., in 1835, and entered a farm, but soon after returned to New York, and in September, 1836, the family emigrated to Illinois and settled upon the land claimed the year before, and made that their home for nearly nine years ; our subject returned again to New York in 1840, and engaged in farming, principally in Wayne Co., till April, 1844, whence he started for Wisconsin, coming via the canal to Buffalo, he then took the steamer for Milwaukee; from there he walked to the Elkhorn Tavern, then kept by Mr. Warren, in the town of Porter, Rock Co, and from him he took a contract to improve his present farm for a Mr. McNeil, who then lived in the East He began work on the farm in October, 1844, by putting up some hay, and soon his shanty was raised, which was a " bachelor's hall " for four months; . during the winter he built a skiff, and in the spring of 1845, it was launched upon the " Catfish " for a sail down the river to Illinois. Safely she plowed the waters with her v yager till they reached the mouth of the Rock River, at Rock Island,' when an Illinois farmer gladly purchased the boat, that he might be better able to ride over his lands ; Mr Roberts then took the steamer for Nauvoo and thence he crossed the country to his father's family, and with them returned to Dunkirk, his father died here March 5. 1847; his mother, June 12, 1872; Mr. Roberts received his half (160 acres) for improving the other 160, and has carefully guarded his in- terests till he now has a well-improved farm of 374 acres. He has been Chairman of the Town Board


several terms. He was married, in Dunkirk, Sept. 3, 1848, to Betsey, daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Huyck) Cannon, a native of Delaware Co., N. Y., born in 1819, and who came with her parents to Chi- cago in 1835, to Racine Co., Wis., in 1837, and to Dunkirk, Dane Co., Wis, in 1844, where her parents both died, her mother July 3, 1846, and was the first person buried in the Dunkirk cemetery; her father died Sept. 23, 1850; Mr. and Mis Rul erts have had nine children, three of whom are now living- Harrie E., who now manages the farm; Florence E., now Mrs. George N. Campbell, of this town, and James A., at home. Mr. Roberts is a member of the Universalist Church.


GEORGE ROBINSON, farmer, Secs. 7 and 18; P. O. Stoughton ; born in Lincolnshire, England, January 4, 1812 ; his parents, John and Anne Robinson, both died in England ; George was a shepherd boy for seventeen years in his native country, but in 1837 he sailed for America, and spent one year in Butler Co. and four years in Warren Co., Ohio ; he then removed to Madison Co., Ill., in 1842, and in 1847 came to Dodge Co., Wis., and located on a farm in the town of Lowell, he moved to his present farm of 160 acres in March, 1968. He was married in Ohio, in 1842, to Nancy McCashin ; their children are Phillip, who was a scldici in Co. K, 11th W. V. I., and was killed at Vicksburg May 22, 1863 ; Henry, who was a soldier in the 44th W. V. I., is now a farmer in Dunkirk ; George, who enlisted in Co. C, 11th W. V. I., and died at Pilot Knob, Mo. ; Chester, now in Chicago; John, now in this town ; Eugene and Samuel at home; Charles, deceased; Martha A., at home; Agnes, now the wife of James Carr, and lives in Rock Co.


DAVID L. ROTHE, hardware merchant, Stoughton ; born in Dane Co., Wis., in 1851; his parents, Lars T. and Ingeborg Rcthe, emigrated from Norway in 1844 or 1845, and settled in the town of Deerfield, where our subject was born, and spent most of his time on the farm till 14 years of age ; he then entered the Norwegian Lutheran College of Decorah, Iowa, where he pursued the studies of the classical course for three years, returning then to his home in Deerfield ; in the autumn of 1867, he spent one term at the Albion Academy, and the winter term at teaching; after which he followed farming during the summer and teaching there in the winters till 1870, when he entered the Northwestern Busi- ness College of Madison, from which he graduated in December, 1873, and afterward continued teaching for a time ; in the autumn of 1874, he was employed as book-keeper for M. P. Jerdee, of Madison ; a year later, he went to Lodi, Columbia Co., where he spent one summer selling agricultural implements, and in


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August, 1876, he began the hardware business at Stoughton. Mr. Rothe is a member of the Village Board of Stoughton. He was married, in 1875, to Miss Breatha Prescott, a native of Dane Co. ; their children are Lawrence A., Eugene F. and Ada I. Mr. and Mrs. Rothe are members of the Lutheran Church.


OLE SAMPSON, Stoughton ; born in Norway, in 1831 ; he emigrated to Wisconsin and located at Stoughton in August, 1853, and has since followed various kinds of labor ; he now owns a house and lot near the depot. He was married, in 1858, to Isabel Ellingson, a native of Norway, who died in 1866, leaving two children-Isabel and Nena. His second marriage was in 1869, to Anna Danielson, a native of Norway ; they have one son, L. William.


ANDREW F. SCHELDRUP, druggist, Stoughton ; born in Norway in 1846; he came to Wisconsin in 1866, and located at Whitewater, where he was employed in different kinds of business till 1868; he then came to Stoughton and was employed as clerk in drugstore by C. J. Melaas; remained in his employ for nine years, and in December, 1879, began the drug trade for himself. He was married, in 1872, to Miss Thea Severine Olay, a native of Walworth Co., Wis .; their children are Mabel F., Clarence A. and an infant daughter. Mr. and Mrs. S. are members of the Lutheran Church.


HELGA SEVERSON, deceased; was born in Norway April 10, 1796; he emigrated to America in 1842, and settled in the town of Muskego, Waukesha Co., Wis., whence, in 1844, he removed to the town of Pleasant Springs, Dane Co., where he died in 1856. He was married in Norway, in 1840. to Miss Betsey Olson; they had a family of seven children, three of whom now live in Dane Co. ; they are as follows: Sever H., now a lumber merchant of Stoughton ; Adeline, now Mrs. O. K. Lunde, of the town of Pleasant Springs; Henry, now a farmer in the town of Dunkirk. Mr. Severson and family were mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.


SEVER H. SEVERSON, lumber merchant, Stoughton ; was born in Norway in 1840, and at the age of 2 years, with his parents, Helge and Birget Severson, he came to America and located in Racine Co., Wis .; two years later, they came to Dane Co. and settled on a farm in the town of Pleasant Springs, where his father afterward died. Our subject spent his time in farming in the town of Pleasant Springs till he reached the age of 19, after which he spent six years at mining in Colorado ; returning to Dane Co., Wis., in the spring of 1866, he soon settled in the village of Stoughton, where he has been en- gaged in the lumber trade since 1867, and is now also engaged in the manufacture of blinds. Mr. S. was a member of the Village Board two terms ; he nowresides on a farm of 70 acres, Sec. 4, town of Dunkirk, and has a comfortable home with all modern improvements and conveniences. He was married, May 24, 1866, to Miss Gurine Peterson, a native of Wisconsin, but her parents emigrated from Norway about 1842. Mr. and Mrs. S. have four children-Hattie B., Henry C., A. Lincoln, Theodore B. and an adopted son- Ingvald.


CHARLES A. SHOWERS, mason and house plasterer, Stoughton; was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1834, and is the son of Benona and Mary Showers, both of whom died in that county ; he began the trade when 17 years old, and followed it there till 1857, when he emigrated to Dane Co., Wis., and located at Stoughton, where he has since continued his trade, and has done a great share of the work in the village, except on the business blocks. He was married, Sept. 6, 1859, to Elizabeth Hawley, a native of North Carolina, who came to Stoughton with her mother in 1850; they have had eight children -Adella, Willard, Herman, Minnie, Arthur and Gaston-twins, deceased ; Eva and Herbert, now living. Mr. Showers and family are connected with the Baptist Church.


IVER ENDERSON SKAAR, farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Stoughton ; was born in Norway iu 1826; he emigrated to Dane Co., Wis., in 1849, and settled in the town of Blooming Grove; in the spring of 1850, he went to Chicago, Ill., and there followed teaming for three or four years ; then returned to Blooming Grove, and located on a farm of 173 acres, on Sec. 36; in 1866, he sold out his farm and re- moved to Goodhue Co., Minn., and two years later returned to Dane Co., Wis., and settled on Sec. 1, town of Dunkirk, where he now owns a farm of 200 acres; he also has 40 acres on Sec. 7, town of Albion. He was married in Blooming Grove in 1854, to Christiana Johnson, who died Jan. 26, 1874, leaving eight chil- dren, as follows : Johannah, now Mrs. Andrea Anderson, living in Goodhue Co., Minn. ; John, Albert, James, Eli, Henry and Amelia, who died when a year old. His second marriage was in 1876, to Elena Eielson, a native of Wisconsin ; they have two children-Amelia and Johannes. The family is connected with the Lutheran Church.


SIMON THOMPSON, farmer, P. O. Stoughton ; was born in Norway in 1824; he lived on the farm with his parents till 1847, and from that time to 1852 was employed as a mail boy in the city of


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Lorwig ; he then emigrated to America and settled at Muskegon, Mich., where he found work at saw-milling during the summers and at chopping in the pineries during the winters, till 1859 ; removing thence to the town of Norway, Racine Co., Wis., he followed farming for four years, and, in 1863, settled in the town of Pleasant Springs, Dane Co., where he afterward owned 160 acres of land, and devoted his time to agriculture and stock-raising till March, 1877; selling then, he came to Stoughton, and has since followed raising tobacco. He was married in 1862, to Eliza Evenson; they have two children-Targus and Martha ; Mrs. Thompson had, by a former marriage, Ole, Sam, John and Ella Isabel Evenson. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are members of the Lutheran Church.


O. F. TIPPLE, proprietor of the City Livery Stable, Stoughton; was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., in 1841, and spent his time at farming in that county till 19 years old ; he then kept a hotel for a while, and, in 1860, he came to Dane Co., Wis., and located in the town of Rutland. In 1861, he enlisted in Co. D, 7th W. V. I., under Col. Van Dora, and served with his regiment in the Army of the Potomac till taken prisoner in Brunswick Co., Va., in June, 1864; was kept in Andersonville Prison most of the time till exchanged, April 10, 1865, when he rejoined his regiment at Richmond and was mustered out with it at Camp Randall, Wis., in September following ; he then returned to the town of Rutland, Dane Co., and there engaged in farming till 1870, when he removed to the village of Stoughton, and has since followed hotel-keeping and livery business. He was married in 1867, to Miss Eunice E. Davis, a native of the State of New York; they have one daughter-Lillian C. Mrs. Tipple is a mem- ber of the Universalist Church.


F. A. TURNER, grocer, and dealer in cigars and tobacco, Stoughton ; is a native of Addison Co., Vt., born in the town of Cornwall in 1832. His parents, Solomon and Rhoda Turner, removed with him to Washington Co., N. Y., when he was about 12 years old; here he spent most of his time at clerk- ing in a grocery store till 1855; in the autumn of that year, he came to Wisconsin, and joined his father's family in the town of Dunn, Dane Co., they having come a few months before; he spent about two years on the farm, and then came to the village of Stoughton, and carried on the grocery and cigar trade for about ten years, after which he was employed as clerk and operator for the C., M. & St. P. R. R. Co. at Stoughton for ten years, and, in 1877, he resumed the grocery and cigar trade. Mr. Turner was Chair- man of the Town Board of Dunkirk for two terms, before the village of Stoughton was organized, and has also been President of the Village Board three terms. He was married May 16, 1865, to Miss M. H. Westcot, a native of Vermont, who came with her parents to Wisconsin about 1850. Mr. T. is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity.


O. E. TURNER, farmer, Sec. 5; P. O. Stoughton ; is a native of Rutland Co., Vt .; was born in the town of Castleton in 1838; his parents, Solomon and Rhoda (Westcot) Turner, were natives also of Vermont, and, in 1855, with their family, emigrated to Dane Co., Wis .; they located at first on a farm in the town of Dunn and lived there till 1867, when they came to this town and section, where our subject now owns a farm of 120 acres, and where he has since resided; his mother died here in 1872 ; his father now lives with him. Mr. Turner was married in the town of Dunn, Nov. 19, 1862, to Miss Susan M., daughter of John S. and Susan (Herrick) Westcot, a native of Rutland Co., Vt., who came to Wis- consin with her father in 1850; they have four sons-Herbert W., Erford E., Edward P. and John.


O. M. TURNER, Stoughton ; is a native of Chautauqua Co., N. Y., and was born in 1838; he emigrated with his uncle, H. H. Giles (now of Madison), to Dane Co., Wis., in 1848, and located on a farm in the town of Dunkirk, three miles south of the village of Stoughton ; at the age of 16 years, he came to this village, and has since been in the employ of the C., M. & St. P. R. R. Co. as operator, clerk and station agent at this point. Mr. Turner has taken more interest and been more closely con- nected with the educational interest of the village than its municipal affairs. He was married, in 1865, to Sarah E., youngest daughter of Luke Stoughton, the founder of this village; their children are Ada, Giles and Roy S.


HERBERT M. TUSLER, of the firm of Johnson, Tusler & Co., Stoughton; was born in Warren Co., Penn., in 1848, and, at the age of 2 years, came with his parents, James and Rachel Tusler, to Dane Co., Wis., and located in the town of Dunn, where he made his home for about twenty years ; he spent two years as a student at the State University, but completed his studies at the Northwestern Bus- iness College of Madison in 1874; he then came to Stoughton, and was employed as book-keeper for A. A. Flint; he was also U. S. Express agent for one and one-half years, and, in 1879, he became a partner in the firm of Johnson Tusler & Co. Mr. Tusler was elected a member of the Village Board in the spring of 1879. He was married, in 1876, to Miss Wilma Hart, a native of Dane Co., Wis .; they have one son, Byron H. Mrs. Tusler is a member of the Baptist Church.


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TOWN OF CHRISTIANA.


E. E. WARREN, architect and builder, Stoughton ; was born in Windsor Co., Vt., in Decem- ber, 1827 ; his parents, Moses and Sabra (Roberts) Warren, were also natives of Windsor Co., Vt., but re- moved to Rock Island Co., Ill., in 1865, where they afterward died; E. E. began the carpenter's trade in Vermont at the age of 14 years, and in 1849, removed to Chautauqua Co., N. Y., where he continued till 1853 ; emigrating then to Wisconsin, he located at Stoughton, Dane Co., where he has since followed con- tracting and building, and has erected many of the prominent residences of the village. Mr. War- ren has been a member of the Village Board two terms. He was married, in Chautauqua Co., N. Y., in 1851, to Helen, daughter of Volney and Candice Emily (Foster) Watkins, a native of that county ; Their children are Jennie, now the wife of J. M. Hibbard, and lives in this village; Edgar, now a resi- dent of Stoughton ; Myra, now Assistant Postmistress at Stoughton ; Chester. Mrs. Warren is a mem- ber of the Universalist Church.


H. P. WILLARD, retired, Stoughton ; was born in Strafford Co., N. H., in 1815; when 6 or 7 years old, he removed to Vermont, where he engaged in farming till about 20 years of age, after which he spent several years in the South, and in 1840, he located in the town of Hebron, Jefferson Co., Wis .; here he continued farming till 1866, when he came to the village of Stoughton, Dane Co .; he now has a farm of 120 acres on Secs. 18 and 19, town of Dunkirk. He was married, in 1844, to Cynthia Martin, of Jefferson Co., Wis., who died in 1866, leaving four children-Harrison D., Cyrus, Lovina and Henry; his second marriage was in 1867, to Sophrona Stanford, a native of the State of New York. Mrs. Wil- lard is a member of the Universalist Church.


TOWN OF CHRISTIANA.


EGEL ALLACKSON, farmer ; P. O. Utica ; he was born in Norway in 1824, and came to Wisconsin in 1843; stopped a year in Muskego, Waukesha Co .; in 1844, removed to the town of Deerfield, Dane Co., whence, in 1858, he came to Christiana and settled on his present farm of 80 acres. He was married, in 1844, in this town, to Betsey Liverson ; she is a native of Norway ; their children are Ellen, Martha, Anna and Tulena, now the wife of Erick Tostenson, who lives in this town. They are members of the Lutheran Church.


OLE O. AMBLE, manufacturer and dealer in boots and shoes at Cambridge ; is a native of Norway, born in 1847; at the age of 17 years, he entered upon his apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade ; he sailed in June, 1875, from his native country for America, and located at Stoughton, Wis., where he worked two years for Carl Rasmusson ; he then removed to Clinton, and there continued his trade eighteen months ; then carried on the business there for a year ; he removed his business to Cambridge in Febru- ary, 1879, and has since been engaged in dealing in and manufacturing boots and shoes, giving thereby employment to two men besides himself. He was married in Stoughton, in April, 1877, to Martha Olson, a native of Norway, and who came to Stoughton in 1873. They are members of the Lutheran Church.


BENJON ANDERSON. farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Cambridge; was born in Norway in August, 1846, and, in 1861, he, with his parents, Andrew and Hellena Anderson, emigrated to Wisconsin and located in the town of Christiana, and, in 1864, settled on this farm of 100 acres, where they have since lived. His mother died here June 24, 1878; his father now resides with him.


HALVER ANDERSON, farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Utica; was born in Norway in 1826, and came with his parents, Andrew and Life Anderson, to the United States in 1842, and settled in Racine Co., and, in 1844, came to Christiana and settled on Sec. 18, where Halver now owns a farm of 330 acres, 180 of which as in Pleasant Spring. He was married in Christiana, in 1849, to Anna Thompson, a native of Norway, and came to Wisconsin in 1843, their children are Andrew and Ole (in Polk Co., Minn.), Thomas (in Minnesota), John, Edwin, Halver, Alice (now Mrs. Ferguson Liccia) and Mary. The family are members of the Lutheran Church.


THOSTEN AMUNDSON BRAATA, farmer, Sec. 21, P. O. Utica ; was born in Nor- way in 1829, and came with his parents, Anund Maret and Thorstonson Anundson, in 1850, and settled in the town of Christiana, on Sec. 21, where his parents afterward died (his father in 1858, and his mother in 1860), leaving five children, of whom the subject of our sketch is the third. He was married in Christi- ana, in 1860, to Ingebor Olson, a native of Norway, and who came to Wisconsin in 1852; they have six children-Martin, Albert, John, Maria, Bernt and Theodore. The family are members of the Lutheran Church.


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GEORGE BENSON, farmer, Sec. 15; P. O. Christiana; born in Christiana in 1846; his parents came from Norway in 1844, and settled in Christiana, Dane Co., and two years later settled on the present farm, where the subject of this sketch was born ; his father died in 1867. George was married in 1869, to Ambjov Olsen, a native of Norway, and came to Wisconsin about the year 1863. They have three children-Bernard E., Ole Albert and Anna Olena. Mr. Benson has 1192 acres of land. Mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.


OLE BILSTAD, druggist and postmaster at Cambridge; is a native of Jefferson Co., Wis .; born in the town of Oakland in 1848; his parents, Even and Dagna Bilstad, emigrated from Norway in 1842, and settled in his native town, and made that the home for the family till 1868, when they removed to Sec. 14, town of Christiana, Dane Co. Our subject made his home with his parents on the farm till September, 1873, when he came to Cambridge, and began clerking in a drug store for Thomas Slagg, and, in 1876, he became the partner of Mr. Slagg, and in the autumn he purchased the interest of his partner, and has since continued the business. He was married in the town of Pleasant Springs, Oct. 24, 1872, to Ingebor, daughter of G. T. Mandt, a native of that town, born in 1854; they have three children, viz., Gunareus E., Sena, D. M. and Clara. Mr. and Mrs. Bilstad are members of the Lutheran Church.


STENER E. BILSTAD, farmer, Sec. 14; P. O. Cambridge ; is a native of Norway ; born in February, 1828, and in 1842, he with his parents, Even and Dagne Bilstad, emigrated to Wisconsin, and settled on a farm in the town of Oakland, Jefferson Co., and made that their home till 1867, when they removed to this section and town. Our subject, however, bought this farm of 80 acres in 1855, and kept it, and devoted his time to its management till 1861, when he enlisted, in October, in Co. H, 15th W. V. I .; was appointed Sergeant of his company, and served as such with his regiment in the Army of the Cumberland till mustered out at Chattanooga in February, 1865; he then returned to Christiana, and resumed his farming till 1867, when he sold out to his father and went to Jackson Co., Minn., and there devoted his time to the improvement of a farm of 160 acres, which he now owns. In 1873, he returned to Christiana ; has since carried on this farm. His parents now reside with him in their old age, his father in his 78th, and mother in her 73d year. Mr. Bilstad has been Chairman of the Town Board two terms.


OLE L. BOLSTAD, farmer, Sec. 4; P. O. Cambridge ; a native of Norway; born Jan. 20, 1842 ; his father's family, including himself, removed to Dane Co., Wis., in 1854, and located on Section 5, of the town of Christiana, where they now live, and where Ole L. resided till 1870, when he settled on his present farm of 100 acres on Secs. 3 and 4; he also has 10 acres in the town of Deerfield. He was married in Christiana in 1867, to Sena Evenson, a native of Norway, who died in November, 1876, leav- ing four children-Louis O., Susan O., Louisa I. and Edward. His second marriage was July 28, 1878, to Olena Olson ; she is a native of Norway; came to America with her parents when 6 or 7 years old ; they have one.daughter-Amelia S., and are members of the Lutheran Church.


OLOF G. BREKKE, druggist, of the firm of Brekke & Brounty, druggists and grocers, Clinton ; was born in Norway Feb. 12, 1848, and came with his parents (Martin O., who was born May 10, 1824, and Louisa Brekke, who was born May 17, 1823) to Wisconsin and settled in the town of Al- bion, in the spring of 1853 ; afterward lived two years in Milwaukee; in 1857, he went to Grant Co., and to Boscobel in 1868, where he began the drug trade with Pittman & McWilliams, and remained with them for five years ; then engaged in the drug business for himself, for four years there, then came to Clinton May 1, 1879, and became a partner of Samuel Brounty in the grocery and drug trade, and they carry a stock of about $2,000. Mr. Brekke was married in Chicago, in October, 1874, to Miss Andrea Wedwick; a native of Norway, born Feb. 2, 1848, and came to Wisconsin in 1868; they have two chil- dren-Louisa S., born Oct. 10, 1875, and Martin O., born March 16, 1880. They are members of the Lu- theran Church. Mr. B.'s father is a sailor in Norway.




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