Martin County History and Information

Martin County Facts

Martin County was created on February 1, 1820 and was formed from Daviess and Dubois Counties. The County was named for Maj. John T. Martin of Kentucky

The County Seat is Shoals. Shoals wasn't always the County Seat. In fact, this county has the record for the greatest number of County Seat changes. Hindostan was the first County Seat. Before a Courthouse could be built, the County Seat was relocated. Mount Pleasant, laid out in 1817, was the next County Seat until May, 1844. Memphis, the present site of Shoals, became the next County Seat only to be moved in the fall of the same year. Harrisonville, near the site of Trinity Springs became the location of the County Seat. Hillsboro became the County Seat on April 30, 1845. The name of the city was changed to Dover Hill by a legislative act of February 11, 1848. Laid out in 1845, by 1849 Dover Hill had about 50 inhabitants. While the county buildings were being built at Dover Hill, Mount Pleasant again became the County Seat. After the building of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad through the county in 1856 agitation was started to change the County Seat again and on December 11, 1869 it was moved to the west side of White River at the City of Memphis, which was christened the town of "West Shoals" where business was opened July 4, 1871. On April 27, 1876, the Courthouse was destroyed by fire, and pending the erection of new buildings, the offices were moved across the river to Shoals. A few years later, the boundaries of West Shoals were dissolved and extended to take in that territory, thus placing the County Seat at Shoals. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Martin County are Greene County (north), Lawrence County (east), Orange County (southeast), Dubois County (south), Daviess County (west).

Martin County is divided into 9 Civil Townships as follows: Baker, Brown, Center, Halbert, Lost River, McCameron, Mitcheltree, Perry and Rutherford. The township once known as Columbia in now included mostly in Halbert Township although small portions are included in Center and Lost River Townships.

Cities, Towns and Communities include Blankenship, Bramble, Burns City, Cale, Crane, Dover Hill, Hindostan Falls, Indian Springs, Ironton, Loogootee, Mt. Olive, Natchez, Pleasant Valley, Rusk, Scenic Hill, Shoals, South Martin, Trinity Springs, Whitfield, Willow Valley, Windom, and Yenne.

• The Martin County Official Government Website
• Martin County Township Map
• Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Martin County: The county newspaper holdings are under regular revision, as new microfilm holdings are added. These files are not up to date; there are continuous updates and corrections.
• Official County Historians
• Martin County, Indiana History Books at Amazon.com
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

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Records at the Martin County Courthouse

See Also Indiana Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Courthouse destroyed by Fire in Apr. 1876, Saved: all records of genealogical interest

NOTE: The date listed for each category of record is the earliest record known to exist in that county. It does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and certainly does not indicate that all such events that year were actually registered. See also the Martin County Courthouse History

   Martin County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1820 , Probate Records from 1821 and Court Records from 1821 and is located at 111 Main St. (Annex), PO Box 120, Shoals, IN 47581; (812)247-3651
   The Clerk of the Circuit Court is a ministerial officer who is the custodian of the Clerk's record and seal, issues process, accepts filings of commencement of actions in litigation, enters judgments and orders of the court, receives money in his official capacity, makes certified copies of record, issues many miscellaneous licenses, and keeps a record of all wills and matters of trust in probate proceedings.

   Martin County Recorder has Land Records from 1820 and is located at PO Box 147, Shoals, IN 47581; (812)247-2420.
   The county recorder's function is to maintain permanent public records involving a wide variety of instruments. These documents detail transactions involving real estate, mining, personal property, mortgages, liens, leases, subdivision plats, military discharges, personal bonds, etc. Generally, all of these instruments are recorded either for giving legal public notice of their existence or for safekeeping and future reference. The recorder maintains and preserves all legal documents affecting title to real property.

Click Here to Search Indiana Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

   Martin County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at Corner of Main and Second St, P.O. Box 368, Shoals, IN 47581; (812) 247-3303

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Martin County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• Indianapolis Newspaper Index, 1848-1991: Select articles from 1848-1888 Indianapolis daily newspapers; heavily focused on deaths and marriages. Select articles from 1898-1991 about people, places, events, and topics in Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. Extremely limited for deaths; no coverage of marriages.  Card file also available in the Microforms Area, second floor.
• Reference & Government Services CD Collection: Database to allow searching of the hundreds of CDs from the federal government and other sources, part of the collections of the Reference & Government Services Division.
• Martin County, Indiana Court Books at Amazon.com
• Indiana Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

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Martin County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Indiana

Click Here to Search Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

• Birth Certificates: The Division of Vital Records and Statistics maintains birth records that occur in Indiana since Oct 1907 to the present. Prior to October 1907, records of birth are filed only with the local health department in the county where the birth actually occurred.
  • Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $10.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy. Make your check or money order payable to "Indiana State Department of Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • In Person: The ISDH Vital Records office is located at 6 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The office is open for walk-in requests from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., E.S.T., Monday through Friday (excluding official State Holidays). The cost for the first certificate is $10.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy. Average wait time is less than an hour.
  • Processing Time: 5 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
• Death Certificates: The Division of Vital Records and Statistics maintains death records that occur in Indiana since 1900 to the present. Prior to 1900, records of death are filed only with the local health department in the county where the death actually occurred. For deaths occurring from 1900 to 1917, the city and/or county of death is required in order to locate the record.
  • Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $8.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy. Make your check or money order payable to "Indiana State Department of Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • In Person: The ISDH Vital Records office is located at 6 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The office is open for walk-in requests from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., E.S.T., Monday through Friday (excluding official State Holidays). The cost for the first certificate is $8.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy. Average wait Time is less than an hour.
  • Processing Time: 5 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
• Marriage Certificates: Certified copies of marriage certificates are not available from the State Health Department. They are available from the Clerks of the Circuit Court in the county where the marriage was granted. Fees vary.
• Divorce Certificates: Certified copies of divorce certificates are not available from the State Health Department. They are available from the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
  

  Birth Certificates

  Death Certificates

  Marriage Certificates

  Divorce Records

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Martin County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Indiana newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Indiana Marriages Database: Database for Indiana marriages through 1850
• Indiana Marriages Database: Database for Indiana marriages 1993 through 2002
• Indiana Births, 1880-1920: This database indexes births for thirty-one of the counties indexed by the WPA.
• Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920: This data set contains the WPA's indexes to the death records of most of the counties that they completed.
• Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941: This database is a collection of Indiana marriage indexes covering various years and counties.
• Indiana Marriages to 1850: This database of Indiana marriages to 1850 contains nearly 200,000 names.
• Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892: This database is an index to individuals who were married in Indiana between 1802 and 1892.
• Martin County, Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com

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Martin County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Click Here to Search Indiana Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Martin County, Indiana are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Martin County, Indiana are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

  See Also Statewide Records that exist for Indiana

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Martin County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Indiana Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 (Northwest Territory) Federal Census Index; 1807 State Census Index; 1810 Wayne County Census Index; 1812 Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule.
• Martin County, Indiana Census Books at Amazon.com

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Martin County Maps & Atlases

   Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.

  You can view rotating animated maps for Indiana showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
   You can view rotating animated maps for Indiana showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at County Maps

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Maps. Email us with websites containing Martin County Maps by clicking the link below:

• The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection: Indiana Maps
• Martin County, Indiana Map Books at Amazon.com

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Martin County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Indiana

Click Here to Search Indiana Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

   The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Martin County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Indiana Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Indiana Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Indiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Indiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Indiana World War II Servicemen: Database to locate information about Indiana men and women who served in World War II who were mentioned in one of the Indianapolis daily newspapers during the war.
• Martin County, Indiana Military Books at Amazon.com

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Martin County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

   Records of county taxes were kept as early at 1842, although most were discarded. Remaining ones would be at the county courthouse. National Archives-Great Lakes Region has records of the Internal Revenue Service for Indiana for 1867 to 1873. These are tax assessment records, arranged by district and then chronologically.

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Martin County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Martin County, Indiana Tax Books at Amazon.com

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Martin County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Indiana Genealogical Addresses

   The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Martin County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Martin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 45, Shoals, IN 47581
• Local Indiana Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• Indiana Libraries: Database to allow searching for Indiana's public libraries.
• National Archives - Great Lakes Region (Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001; E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.)
  General Information Leaflet
• Indiana State Archives, 6440 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46219; (317) 591-5222, [EMAIL]
• Indiana State Library, Attn: (Division or Staff Name), 140 North Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2296
  Loan Desk and General Inquiries: 317-232-3675, ind@statelib.lib.in.us
  Genealogy Division: 317-232-3689, genealogy@statelib.lib.in.us
• Indiana Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 10507, Fort Wayne IN 46852
• Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St, Indianapolis,IN 46202; 1-800-447-1830 or 317-232-1882
• Indiana Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
• indiana Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

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Martin County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Indiana

Click Here to Search Indiana Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Martin County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Martin County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Baptist records are found at Franklin College (in Franklin); Methodist at DePauw University (in Greencastle); Mennonite at Goshen College (in Goshen); Presbyterian at Hanover College (in Hanover); Disciples of Christ at their historical society in Nashville, Tennessee; and French Catholic at Vincennes University in the Byron R. Lewis Collection. There are also Catholic church histories and records at the Catholic Archives, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. Quaker records are at Earlham College (at Richmond).

   The commissioner's office of each Indiana county may have burial records for soldiers, sailors, and marines. If available, the records should include name, age, date of enlistment, discharge date, and death date. Records begin about 1862.

The Indiana State Library holds records of inscriptions from some Indiana cemeteries. The "Indiana Cemetery Locator File," compiled by the Genealogy Division, is an alphabetical listing of cemeteries, indicating the location in the state and the designation in the Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library where inscriptions may be found.

Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Martin County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Indiana obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Indiana newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
• Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project
• Martin County, Indiana Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Martin County, Indiana Church Books at Amazon.com

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Indiana Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

   When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Martin County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Martin County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Martin County ] [ Indiana ] [ Main Page ]
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• The Indiana Family Group Sheet Project
• Martin County INGenWeb Archives
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• Indiana Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• Martin County, Indiana Family Books at Amazon.com

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County History

1849 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Gazetteer," published by E. Chamberlain

Martin County, named in honor of the late Major Martin, of Newport, Kentucky, a hospitable and patriotic citizen, was organized in 1820. It is bounded north by Greene, east by Lawrence and Orange, south by Dubois, and west by Daviess. It is about twenty-six miles in length by thirteen in breadth, and contains 340 square miles. The civil townships are, Baker, McCammon, Brown, Micheltree, Halbert, Perry, Rutherford and Columbia. The population in 1830 was 2,010, in 1840, 3,875, and at this time [1849] about 5,000. The face of the country is generally hilly, and the soil various in quality, but mostly clay. Nine-tenths of the county was originally timbered upland, the balance about equally divided between river bottoms and barrens. The surplus articles raised for exportation are corn, hay, flaxseed, pork and beef, and these, with staves, hoop-poles, etc., are shipped down the river to the value of about $60,000, annually. There are in the county nine gristmills, nine sawmills, two lawyers, nine physicians, six preachers, and 126 mechanics of the trades usually most needed. The taxable land amounts to 156,666 acres, and about 45,000 acres still belong to the United States.

There is a large rock, in Perry Township, half a mile from White River, called the Jug Rock, from its shape. It is about twelve feet in diameter at the base, eighteen feet through the center and ten feet at the top, and thirty feet high. It has a cap on the top three feet thick and eighteen feet in diameter, on which grow several sarvice bushes, and when these are in bloom, in the spring, the whole resembles and immense flower pot. Trinity Springs, near Harrisonville, on Indian Creek, are now visited a good deal for their medical properties.

1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature

Although the majority of Martin County is unsuited for agriculture, in the bottomlands the soil is fertile and grains and grasses are grown in abundance. Much of the hill country, which characterizes the region, was formerly heavily timbered with hardwoods. Some of the land for various agricultural purposes has left little woodland. Much of the territory is underlaid with a fine quality of bituminous coal, and iron deposits also have been found.

Martin has the natural beauty typical of southern Indiana counties and its scenery is famous. Such features as immense "Jug Rock," a jug-shaped rock seventy-six feet high, "The Pinnacle," a backbone extending out to White River's edge, at a height of 276 feet, enjoy widespread fame. Other beauty spots are "House Rock," "Aquatic Rock," "Cedar Hill," and "Gormerly Bluff." Martin County is the home of Trinity, Indian Mineral, and LaSalle Springs, in addition to a great number of other mineral springs.

Martin County's nine townships embrace 339 square miles. The incorporated city is Loogootee, 2,203; town: Shoals, 1,128. County population 1890, 13,973; 1900, 14,711; 1910, 12,950; 1920, 11,865; 1930, 10,103.

Shoals is located forty-two miles east of Vincennes, and is served by one railroad. It manufactures pearl buttons, furniture, and hardwood lumber.

On the road between Shoals and Loogootee is a marker at the site of the cemetery of the lost city of Hindostan.

Loogootee, located seven miles west of Shoals, is on the same railroad. This city is the center of the county's mining activities, and also has a number of manufactures. Some of the products are window glass, bottles, pearl buttons, clothing, sewer pipe, and shale brick.

The figures of the 1935 census listed five manufacturing establishments in Martin County. These employed 275 wage earners.

Martin County has 1,464 farms averaging 120 acres each. The value of these was $3,265,393. A total of 25,494 head of livestock was reported. The total county tax valuation for 1936 was $4,245,305.

Courthouse History

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• Map of Indiana Historical Markers

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