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Chester County

Chester Co

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South Carolina, USA

 

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Introduction

 

     Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Chester County and its county seat, the city of Chester, were named for Chester County, Pennsylvania.

     Originally the area that now encompasses Chester County was located within Tryon County North Carolina.   Tryon County was formed from Mecklenburg County in 1768 and abolished in 1779 to form Rutherford and Lincoln counties in North Carolina. At its formation and until the border survey of 1772,  Tryon County included all or portions of the South Carolina counties of York, Chester, Union, Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. Records of early ancestors who lived in the current area of Chester County may be found any of these counties, including the North Carolina counties of Lincoln, Rutherford and Mecklenburg and their neighbors.

      The county was formed in 1785 as part of the larger Camden District but was later transferred to Pinckney District (1791-1800); it became a separate district in 1800. Scotch-Irish settlers from Pennsylvania and Virginia moved into this upstate region beginning about 1755. 

     During the Revolutionary War, American forces under General Thomas Sumter were defeated here at the battle of Fishing Creek in August 1780; the Americans were victorious at Fishdam Ford in November of the same year.  The Landsford Canal was built in 1823 to allow boats and barges to bypass rapids on the Catawba River; this canal is now open as a state park. In later years the availability of hydroelectric power encouraged the establishment of textile mills in the area.

     The following counties lie adjacent to Chester: York County, South Carolina – north;  Lancaster County, South Carolina – east;  Fairfield County, South Carolina – south;  and Union County, South Carolina – west.

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Researching by surname

Researching
by Surname

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The following are names of persons, found within our databases as having been either born, married or died in this location. Names in dark red denote direct ancestral lines. To find out more about each surname listed click on the corresponding Link.

McVicker; Moreland; Pinnell; Scruggs and allied families

Bishop;   Carter;   Dickson;   Neely

Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart and allied families

 

Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar and allied families

Click on this link to find out more about each surname listed above as well as other surnames found within our three family databases.

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This link will also lead you to surname resources at Rootsweb, and information about the world-wide distribution of a surname.

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Use this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series of different searches  using tips or "tricks"

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that will likely improve your results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find ancestry information about  this  or  any  other  Surname. 

The world’s largest free genealogy search engine, Mocavo.com, provides genealogists access to the best free genealogy content on the web

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including billions of names, dates and places worldwide. Mocavo.com seeks to index and make searchable all of the world’s free genealogy information.

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Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of any surname.  You can get greater

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Ancestral 
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ancestral gen-sites

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Family History Notes

Map of the County

Gen-Site Profiles

Family history notes

Family History Notes

      For most of their married lives Michael Dickson and his wife Sarah Neely lived in the area of South Carolina that is now Chester County.  When they located there it was then a part of Craven county.  The home of Michael and Sarah Dickson, was situated upon a 48 acre tract, received by grant, from Governor Tryon, on October 24, 1767, while it was yet in Mecklenburg Co., N.C.  This real property joined some of their other land holdings, and lay, "between the Broad and Catawba rivers on both sides of Rocky Creek, at the ford of the "Saludy (Saluda) road".  The South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, cites Robert Mills' 1825, Atlas to locate the point where "The Saludy Road crosses Rocky Creek". The Saluda Road, from the time of Michael and Sarah Dickson, evolved to be present day Route 72, and crosses Rocky Creek some three and one half miles northeast of present day Chester, South Carolina.  It is believed that Michael and Sarah were living there, before, and during the Revolution, until they moved, about 1789, to Pendleton County, (later Pendleton District) South Carolina. Other Evidence that they lived along the Saluda Road comes from the 1786, Chester County Court Minutes. In appointing road maintenance overseer's, Richard Evans was appointed to oversee maintenance from, "Tim's old place to Michael Dickson's, with the usual hands that formerly labored on that Boundary". Christopher Streight (Street) was assigned to oversee the section, "from Major Michael Dickson's, along Saludy road, (as) far as Chester County extends, with the hands that formerly Labored on that boundary".  About 1789, Michael and Sarah Dickson moved westward from the Chester District of South Carolina to that part of the old Pendleton District that now falls into Anderson County, South Carolina. 

     Nicholas Bishop, III was about six years old when he accompanied the family of his father and mother Nicholas and Hannah (Bracken) Bishop to South Carolina.   Nicholas lived in Chester District until some time after the Revolutionary War, and held lands there even after moving to Pendleton County.  After the war he married Jane Dickson, a daughter of his friend Major Michael Dickson.  It is believed that this event most likely occurred around 1785 in what is now known as Chester County.   At least seven children, (2 sons and 5 daughters) are known to have been produced of this union.  Around 1789 Nicholas moved with his father-in-law Michael Dickson to the newly created Pendleton County that was formed as a result of the Treaty of Hopewell in 1785 by which the Cherokee's relinquished their lands to the State of South Carolina.

Map of the county

Map of the County

The Red Starin the map designates the location of the seat of government for this county.  Yellow Stars designate seats of government in adjacent counties.   A Purple Dotshows the location of identified ancestral Gen-Site(s). 

Chester Co

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Gen-site profiles

Gen-Site Profiles

Chester;  Michael Dickson Home and Tavern;  Neelys’ Creek

Chester

LOCATION:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Erioll_world.svg/18px-Erioll_world.svg.png Country: United States;     State: South Carolina;     County: Chester;      Local: N/A

Coordinates/Map: 34.705556, -81.211667

NAME / DESCRIPTION:

Chester Co

Chester County Courthouse,

140 Main Street, Chester, SC

Click on Thumbnail

     Early settlers were part of the Scotch-Irish immigration south from Pennsylvania - hence the similar names of cities located in each state. The settlers traveled to South Carolina on the Great Wagon Road or from the Port of Charleston. The western section of the County was settled for the most part by immigrants from Virginia, most of English extraction. Many of the early settlers put down roots along or near the Catawba River.

     Chester County was the scene of several Revolutionary War battles, including Beckhamville, Fishing Creek, and Fish Dam Ford. The City of Chester grew as the County seat of government and was founded in 1790.

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE: 

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):   Chester, South Carolina - Wikipedia

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Michael Dickson Home and Tavern

LOCATION:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Erioll_world.svg/18px-Erioll_world.svg.png Country: United States;     State: South Carolina;     County: Chester;      Local: N/A

Directions: The Saluda Road, from the time of Michael and Sarah Dickson, evolved to be present day Route 72, and crosses Rocky Creek some three and one half miles north east of present day Chester, South Carolina.

Coordinates/Map: N 34.73890 W 81.17021

NAME / DESCRIPTION:

Chester Co

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The crossing at Rocky Creek near Chester, South Carolina.  Upon this spot stood the home and tavern of Michael and Sarah Neely Dickson.  Based upon the lay of the land, and old roadbeds, their housed was likely situated across the bridge where the road now passes.

The home of Michael and Sarah Dickson, was situated upon a 48 acre tract, received by grant, from Governor Tryon, on October 24, 1767, while it was yet in Mecklenburg Co., N.C.  This real property joined some of their other land holdings, and lay, "between the Broad and Catawba rivers on both sides of Rocky Creek, at the ford of the "Saludy (Saluda) road".  The Saluda Road, from the time of Michael and Sarah Dickson, evolved to be present day Route 72, and crosses Rocky Creek some three and one half miles northeast of present day Chester, South Carolina.  It is believed that Michael and Sarah Were living there, before, and during the Revolution, until they moved, about 1789, to Pendleton County, South Carolina. Other Evidence that they lived along the Saluda Road comes from the 1786, Chester County Court Minutes. In appointing road maintenance overseer's, Christopher Streight (Street) was assigned to oversee the section, "from Major Michael Dickson's, along Saludy road, (as) far as Chester County extends….”  From the Chester County Court Records of 1785, order book "A" comes the following statement; "Michael Dickson (is) permitted to keep tavern in his house, John Mills and Christopher Street, securities for 100 pounds". Knowing the religious convictions of Michael and Sarah Dickson, it is certain that "Tavern" referred to it's definition as an Inn for the overnight keeping of travelers along the Saluda Road, as opposed to it's present day definition as a place where alcoholic beverages are served.  Evidence in support of this claim comes from page 4 of the order book. "....Said Michael Dickson shall keep good Wholsom diet Cleanly Lodgings Stables pasturage & provide as Also keep up in his House the rates of everything necessary to supply the public...."

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE:  Michael Dickson, Sarah Neely and family lived here. John, Elizabeth, Hugh, William and Nancy Dickson were born here between 1768 and 1776.  Jane Dickson was probably married here to Nicholas Bishop around 1785.

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):  

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Neelys’ Creek

LOCATION:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Erioll_world.svg/18px-Erioll_world.svg.png Country: United States;     State: South Carolina;     County: Chester;      Local: N/A

Coordinates/Map:  34.4859N 80.5727W

NAME / DESCRIPTION:

York Co

Click on Thumbnail

At the left is a map showing the location of Neely’s Creek and it watershed.  Neelys Creek is a tributary of Tinkers Creek. The watershed occupies 17,005 acres of the Piedmont region of South Carolina. Land use/land cover in the watershed includes: 86.7% forested land, 8.8% agricultural land, 3.6% scrub/shrub land, 0.4% water, 0.4% urban land, and 0.1% barren land. Tinkers Creek accepts the drainage of Rum Branch and Neelys Creek before draining into Fishing Creek. There are a total of 41.3 stream miles and 15.1 acres of lake waters in this watershed.

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE:  Most probably the area where Samuel Henry Neely settled sometime prior to 1758.

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):  

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populated places

Researching
by Location

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Gazetteer of Places

 in This County

Changes of County Boundaries

Link to State-Wide Resources

Where in the World

are My Ancestors?

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Gazetteer of Places

The list below will assist in your research regarding the matching of your ancestor’s birth, marriage, death dates and the place(s) within this locality at which these events may have occurred.

 

US Home Town Locator

Profiles for  51 cities, towns and other populated places in Chester County, South Carolina

Map of Chester County South Carolina

Chester County Physical, Cultural & Historic Features | Schools

Chester County ZIP Codes | Area Codes

Chester County Land - Property, Farms & Ranches

 

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Chester County, South Carolina, United States

Details | Resources | Cities | Cemeteries

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Links To Populated Places Within This County

City and Towns

·      Chester

·      Fort Lawn

·      Great Falls

·      Lowrys

·      Richburg

Other Populated Places

·      Blackstock

·      Edgemoor

·      Eureka Mill

·      Gayle Mill

·      Lando

·      Leeds

·      Wilksburg

Find Physical Features* Within This County

USGS (link)

* includes but not limited to Cemeteries, Churches, Locales, Schools,

Military Installations;  Populated Places, Post Offices, Streams, and Trails

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County boundary changes

Historical Changes in the Boundaries of this County

     Conducting genealogical research in the United States requires an understanding of county boundaries.  As the population grew more counties were created to meet the public’s need for localized governments.  This phenomena was common in all states during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.  As such you must be sure that you are not looking for records in the wrong county or state. 

     The web-site for the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project provides interactive maps for all states. This Atlas is meant to be a resource for people seeking records of past events, and people trying to analyze, interpret and display county-based historical data like Land Records, Probate Records, Court Records, Tax Records, and Vital Records that document birth, death, and marriage.   Listed below are the boundary changes for this county, the dates they occurred, as well as the government statute that decreed the change.  To see actual changes in a mapping format follow this LINK to the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project .

Map of 1785 - Present Chester County Boundaries (heavy black line)

Chester Boundary Map 1785-2000 copy

Chester District:

01 Jan 1800 - Chester District created from Pinckney District, with same boundaries as CHESTER County. Between 1 January 1800 and 16 April 1868, judicial districts were the principal administrative subdivisions of the state, while counties survived mostly as geographical references. (S.C. Acts 1798, pp. 37-44)

16 Apr 1868 - Chester District eliminated when new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. CHESTER County continued and assumed all functions of local government from both judicial districts and parishes. (Swindler, 8:497)

 

Chester County:

12 Mar 1785 - CHESTER created within Camden District. (S.C. Statutes, 4:661-666; S.C. Acts 1797, pp. 144-145)

19 Feb 1791 - CHESTER became part of newly created Pinckney District . (S.C. Acts 1791, Jan. sess., pp. 20-21, 28-29)

01 Jan 1800 - Chester District created from Pinckney District, with same boundaries as CHESTER County. Between 1 January 1800 and 16 April 1868, judicial districts were the principal administrative subdivisions of the state, while counties survived mostly as geographical references. (S.C. Acts 1798, pp. 37-44)

16 Apr 1868 – Chester District eliminated when new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. CHESTER County continued and assumed all functions of local government from both judicial districts and parishes. (Swindler, 8:497)

Use this link to find more resources regarding the historical

Historical County Lines

changes of county boundaries in all 50 U.S. States.

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Links to More About This U.S. State

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State-Wide Resources

For more information about the U.S. State in which this county is located  click  on  these  LINKS:

 

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Where in the world

Where in the World
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Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. This

Maps & Gazetteers

LINK will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and other helpful  resources  that will assist you in discovering Ancestral Locations. 

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Tool Kit (pink)

 

Gen Tool-Kit

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Our “Gen-Tool Kit” has been primarily designed for those researchers who may be traveling to this location to perform on-site studies of their family history, or to just visit some of the interesting historical sites located in the area.  It can be very satisfying to mix research with sightseeing at historical and scenic spots.  Such activity not only gives you an understanding of the land but a needed break from intense research sessions.  When visiting an ancestral county for genealogical research we’ve found that the three most important places to visit are the county courthouse; the county library; and the county historical and/or genealogical societies.  It is also good to plan ahead by contacting any site you intend visiting in order to ascertain where it is and when it will be open.  This is especially true with regard to historical and genealogical societies.  We hope that the following information will provide you with a better idea of what resources are available, within this county, to the family historian.

Cemeteries

County History

Libraries, Museums

& Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

 County Records

Societies

(History & Genealogical)

Cemeteries

Cemeteries

·         Armenia UMC Cemetery, Armenia, SC (partial)

·         Cemeteries of Chester County

·         Cemetery Survey Book Resources

·         Chester County  SC Cemetery Project

·         Chester County Cemeteries

·         Chester County Cemetery List

·         Chester County Cemetery Registration

·         Chester County SC Cemetery GPS Project

·         Chester County, SC Cemetery Mapping Project

·         New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery

·         The Political Graveyard

·         Wilksburg Baptist Church Cemetery, Chester, SC

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History

History

Your LINK to the Historical Places and Districts in CHESTER County

·         Chester County Bibliography

·         Chester County Historical Markers

·         Old Camden District

·         South Carolina Reference Room - Chester County 

·         Catholic Presbyterian Church, Chester, SC

·         Harmony Baptist Church  Edgemoor, SC

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Libaries, Museums, Archives

Libraries, Museums & Archives

·         Chester County Libraries

·         Family History Library Holdings

·         PERiodical Source Index Search   Chester Co., SC

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Maps and Gazetteers

Maps and Gazetteers

·         Blackstock, 1934

·         Chester County - 1895 U.S. Atlas

·         Chester County Gazetteer

·         Chester County Post Offices

·         Chester County Post Offices  1846

·         Chester County Topo Maps and Aerial Photos

·         Chester County, 1912  Soil Survey Map

·         Chester District, 1825

·         Chester District, South Carolina  1825

·         Chester, 1884 June

·         Chester, 1889 June

·         Chester, 1894 May

·         Chester, 1898 March

·         Chester, 1904 April

·         Chester, 1910 July

·         Chester, 1917 October

·         Edgemoor, 1939

·         Fort Lawn, 1932

·         Great Falls, 1951

·         Lowrys, 1939

·         Richburg, 1930

·         Tiger Map Server Browser 

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County Records

Records

·         Livingston's Law Register, 1851  Chester District Lawyers

·         Chester County Probate Records and Wills

·         South Carolina Probate Records  1732-1964

·         South Carolina Probate Records  Bound Volumes 1671-1977

·         Chester County, South Carolina Naturalizations  1783-1850

·         Five Ships to Carolina 

·         Chester County, South Carolina Military Index

·         List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883

·         Chester County, South Carolina  World War II Casualties

·         Chester County Public Records Links

·         Chester County Records

·         Migrations through Chester County

·         Chester County  Newspaper Abstracts

·         Chronicling America  Chester County

·         Christopher King Funeral Homes  Chester and Rock Hill, SC

·         The Herald  Newspaper: York, Chester, and Lancaster Counties

·         News & Reporter - Obituaries

·         (Biggers) Mobley Plantation – Slave Records

·         Chester County – Slave Records

·         United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850  Chester Co.

·         Chester County Vital Records

Use this link to find specific information about the historical and

n2genealogy

genealogical public records maintained by the government of this county.

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Societies

Societies (Historical & Genealogical)

·         Mary Adair Chapter  Chester, D.A.R.

·         The Piedmont Historical Society 

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General Resources

Locality Specific Resources

FREE Records

and Databases

Our Genealogy Reference Library

General Resources

General Resources

·         GenealogyLinks.net

·         The USGenWeb Project

·         United States Research Wiki – Family Search

·         Kindred Trails.com

·         U.S. County Resources at Rootsweb

·         Genealogy Trails History Group

·         Genealogy.com: Resources by county

·         Family Search,  USA IGI Batches, Localities

·         Birth & Marriage Records Indexes for USA

·         Record Search - Family Search.org

·         n2genealogy.com

 

·         Genealogy Forum: U.S. States

·         Rootsweb.com – U.S. Message Boards

·         Cyndi's List – United States Index

·         USGenWeb Archives

·         Data Base Collections at Ancestry.com$

·         MyGenealogist.com

·         Access Genealogy

·         Histopolis.com – Collaborative Genealogy and History

·         DistantCousin.com - archive of genealogy records

·         Searchable Death Indexes & Records

·         Census Finder –Free Census and other Records

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·          Locality Specific Resources

Locality Specific Resources

·         Genealogy Links - Chester County

·         USGenWeb - Chester County

·         Research Wiki - Chester County

·         Kindred Trails.com – Chester County

·         RootsWeb Resources - Chester County

·         Genealogy Trails History Group – Chester County

·         Genealogy Forum - Chester County

·         Rootsweb Message Board – Chester County

·         Cyndi's List – Chester County

·         USGenWeb Archives – Chester County

·         Ancestry.com Collections$  - Chester County

·         MyGenealogist.com – Chester County

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Free Records & Databases

FREE Records
 & Databases

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All of the records and databases we’ve collected are FREE and can be accessed and searched online without having to pay for a subscription.   We have divided our collected into 14 record types as follows: Biographical; Birth; Cemetery; Census & City Directories; Church; Court; Death; Immigration & Naturalization; Land; Marriage; Military; Newspapers; Occupational; and Tax Records.    We try not to list any sites that have only a few records for the purpose of getting you to a website that will charge a fee to actually see the record beyond just a name.  

This Link will take you to our

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Genealogy Reference Library

Our Genealogy 
Reference Library

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The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books.   Here you may find books about the history and records of this county and other places such as towns and churches.  The collection also contains research works about military units and personnel during America’s wars, in addition too resource texts about the ethnic and religious groups who may have settled in this locality.

This Link will take you to our

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collections of reference books.  

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Gallery

Image Gallery

Image Gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a variety of localities.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

Chester Co

Chester County Court House

140 Main Street, Chester, SC

Use this LINK to see the picture

Ancesral Locations Image Galleries

gallery  that pertains to this location.

If you have any photographs or other images relating to this 
 county, we would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

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About thiswebpage

About This Webpage

CONTACT INFORMATION

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-- This webpage was last updated on --

01 January 2012

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