Okobojo

William H. Green

Wed: 1902 Madge Glessner
Kids: Francis, Willis & George
Born: 1870 Clay Co. IL
Died: 1922 Chamberlain, SD
Parents: John S. & Sarah

Nov. 26, 1870
William Henry Green is born to John Simpson Green and Sarah Jane (McGannon) Green in Flora Illinois. Will was the fifth child born to John S. and Sarah all the previous 4 sons having died in infancy.

1875
A four year old William H. Green and his baby brother Hugh are loaded in a covered wagon and driven out west as the Green family Heads for the Dakota territory. His mother was said to be sick and family members pleaded with them not to attempt the adventurous trek.

1875
Only 69 years after Lewis and Clark came through the Dakota Territory the Green family settle in Hutchins County Dakota. John S. files on a 160 acre homestead and a 160 acre tree claim near Olivet.

They homestead next to a Charles Branch and family who also traveled from Illinois during this time.

1880
John S. and Sarah have another son and they name him Charles Branch Green. They are on the edge of civilization with nothing but Indian villages and army forts to their west.

It is assumed that Will started school in Hutchins County but we have found no records so far.

April 1883
The Green family once again load the covered wagon and head west. Will's grandfather Hugh McGannon and some of Will's uncles are moving from Illinois to settle land near the Missouri River and Will's family moves west to join them. They are among the first to settle the Okobojo area. Will is 12.

Mid 1880's
Will begins a lifelong career at the Okobojo Times. He begins as apprentice to Steve Travis, then the owner of the Times.

He may have started writing stories and editorials during this time but we can find no early issues of the Times to confirm this.

Nov. 2, 1889
The bill that created South Dakota as a state was signed by President Grover Cleveland on February 22, 1889. Though Cleveland is said to have shuffled the papers so no one would know which state was first, it was determined that South Dakota was the 40th state admitted to the Union and North Dakota was 39th. The Omnibus Statehood bill gave official statehood to both Dakotas November 02, 1889.

March 10, 1890
The Okobojo School attendance records show that Will Green attended school the week before, but a note on Monday, March 10 says "not coming any more". Will must have finished school at age 19. It is assumed that he graduated.

According to the attendance records all three Green boys missed school each October, presumably to help with the harvest.

1892
Will, acting as Adjutant to R. J. Courtney who is commander of the Sully County reserves, writes to Courtney advising the closing of Fort Sully.

April 25, 1898
The United States declares War on Spain following the sinking of the USS Main battleship in Havana Harbor, Cuba which killed 228 American Sailors.

May 29, 1898
"Remember the Main and to hell with Spain" is their battle cry as Will and the rest of the 1st South Dakota Volunteers leave Sioux Falls for the Philippines to free the Philippine Islands from the Spanish.

Will writes what appears to be an article for the paper about the trip to the Philippines.

May 30, 1898
Decoration Day en route. Will writes... "These old soldiers with gray hair, some with empty sleeves, some walking on crutches and others with battle scars of all description were the men who said "boys, you look just like we did thirty years ago only you are better looking. You are going on the same mission that your fathers did in the dark days of '61 and '65"

August 5, 1898
Cousin Zora McGannon writes..."We are having entertainment in town every night this week. The name of the Co is the Cascarine Medicine Company. They try to sell their medicine every night but I hardly think they will sell very much of it. They have a Cineograph which shows moving pictures. That is quite good."

August 14, 1898
Father John S. Green writes..."well I suppose you will here that peace has bin Declared before you get this letter. Secretary Day and anbassador cambon and mcKinley has signed the papers of agreement of the terms of peace so I am in hopes that you boys will get home by the time snow flyes"

August 24, 1898
The 1st South Dakota arrives at Manila Bay after 22 days on the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu. Will writes... "We saw before us Manila Bay; calm and peaceful. Directly in front of our quarters lay the wrecks of the treacherous Spanish Fleet that sailed out so proudly on the morning of the 28th of May, but they do not loom up as they did on that morning".

October 13, 1898
Girlfriend Madge Glessner writes..." I was considerably provoked at not receiving a few lines from my war correspondent while at Honolulu, especially as the Editor boasted of a letter from you...We read so much in the papers about the beauty of the Manilla girls, are you sure you do them justice? It will be better for you young men to keep your sox and let the natives keep their cigars and cigarettes."

December 10, 1898
Representatives of Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Peace in Paris.

Spain renounced all rights to Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and the island of Guam to the United States, gave up its possessions in the West Indies, and sold the Philippine Islands, receiving in exchange $20,000,000.

It looked like Will had missed the war.

January 1899
I'm looking for the letter where Madge threatens to marry a preacher in order to get her own piano to go here.

January 29, 1899
Will's father, a civil war veteran, writes..."Well Boys I see by the papers that you fellows are a bout to have trouble with the natives and Insergents well if you do be very careful and don't let them get the advantage of you for they are a tretcheris set of Devils and if you do get in contact with them shield youre selvs when you can. it is a credit to a soldier when in a battle to protect him self and give them thunder."

February 4, 1899
The Philippine Insurrection begins as the Philippine Republic declares war on the United States forces in the Philippine Islands, following the killing of three Filipino soldiers by U.S. forces in a suburb of Manila.

America's attention turns from the Spanish to the Filipinos.

May 26, 1899
In a small notebook Will writes..."Sickness contracted at San Fernando P.I. on or about the 26 day of May 1899. Treated in Hospitals as follows Field infirmary from about the 26 of May 1899 till about the 1st of August 1899. The ship hospital on the transport Sheridan from about the 8 of Aug til the date of landing in San Francisco til discharge Oct 5 1899." ...Will had contracted Malaria.

October 14, 1899
The Okobojo Times..."The South Dakota Regiment arrives in their fair and favored state this week. Company A will reach Pierre on Saturday evening where a grand reception will be given. President McKinley and his cabinet will meet them at Aberdeen...W.H. Green is being held in quarantine at Presidio hospital on account of being exposed to the smallpox."...Will did not have smallpox.

February 14, 1902
Will came home in a hammock weighing less than 100 pounds. Many despaired for his life, but Madge didn't give up.

He gradually regained his weight and strength, and on February 14, 1902, he went to the Glessner homestead to propose to Madge. Since she had a bad cold he was sent away. He returned the following evening to propose and Madge accepted.

July 24, 1902
Will marries his childhood sweetheart Madge Glessner at her sister's house house in Pierre.

Late 1902
Will buys the family farm from his father and sets up house with his new wife on the prairie.

Will works very hard on the farm. He also prints the Okobojo Times and he is "1st Ass't Clerk Engrossing and Enrolling Force" at the Capitol in Pierre. Travel to Pierre was by buggy or horseback and, in good weather, took about 4 hours each way.

March 21, 1903
Will and his brother-in-law Hal Glessner purchase 32 head of cattle from N.H. Thornton for $748 and they are in the cattle business.

1903-1909

Will and Madge have three children together. Francis, Willis and George.

1913
Will says he going to Onida to get a load of coal and returns with a new piano for Madge. It is a red letter day for the Green family and Will, his wife and three young kids work most of the night to get it in the house.

At 1 am it's finally in and the family all stands around and listens with rapture while Madge plays "Sunset."

1914-1922
Will spends some of each summer laid up in the Battle Mountain Sanitarium in Hot Springs SD. The Hot Springs supposedly had miraculous healing powers. The "BMS Ward" was a military hospital built for aging Civil War veterans.

Mage and the kids write Will over 100 letters during this period, detailing what life was like back home. He kept every letter in his war chest.

November 1920
With the death of Madge's father they inherit the Glessner homestead in town. It's only a quarter mile from Will's print shop so life became much easier.

Apparently Will was feeling pretty well because despite his illness he runs for, and is elected to, the South Dakota State Legislature.

June 1921
Will, Madge and George go on a tent camping trip to the Black Hills. George writes "I don�t remember if it was the first or second night that the wind blew and it rained. Sometime during the storm Pa had a stroke. He didn�t say anything until morning. He was dragging his left foot and couldn�t use his left arm. Our vacation was over."

May 1922
In a letter to Will in the sanitarium Cathy says "The yellow roses are out, tell grandpa." It is unclear if this is John S. or Grandpa Glessner. It was probably John S. - Will's dad. Whether he is visiting or a patient is also unclear.

Madge and George move to Hot Springs from June to November so they can be with Will in the Sanitarium.

December 7, 1922
Will had just arrived at the Chamberlain Hospital for a "new steam treatment" when, according to Cathy "Papa was tying his necktie before going down to breakfast, when he had his final stroke. He lingered a little while, but none of us could get there before he died."

Will was only 52.

Will's Obituary
"It was while serving his country that he contracted the malaria...which finally resulted in complications which caused his death. The beautiful Masonic ritual...was most fitting and impressive. Interment was at the Okobojo cemetery by the side of loved ones, on the hills which he had roamed when but a lad. It is a fitting resting place, within easy distance of the old home and the scenes which charmed him most."