Basil Green
born September 17, 1829, in Licking county, Ohio
died July 19, 1911, in Dayton, Illinois

Obituaries:

BASIL GREEN DIES.
Was a Pioneer of the Goldseeking Period.

Basil Green, one of the pioneer residents of Illinois, and aged 81 years, died at the home of his son Rush Green, in Dayton township. Mr. Green has been in poor health for the past year.

He was a native of Newark, O., and settled in southern Illinois in the early 50’s and in 1855, was married to Margaret Wilkins, who died forty years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Green removed to La Salle County in 1866 and located on a farm in Dayton township, which has been his home since that time.

Mr. Green leaves these children: Fred Green and Rush Green, of Dayton, Winfield Green, of Joliet, and Mrs. Josephine Gibson, of Rock Island.

Funeral took place from the home of Rush Green Friday and interment in Dayton cemetery.¹

BASIN [sic] GREEN SUMMONED
Pioneer Resident of Dayton Dead

Basil Green, head of one of the best known families in this vicinity, passed away at 5:45 o’clock Wed. a. m. at the home of his son, Rush Green, in Dayton township. Death followed a year’s illness due to Mr. Green’s advanced years. He was born in Newark, Ohio, in 1830, making his age eighty-one years at the time of his demise.

Few men have had experiences of early pioneer days such as Mr. Green went through. When a youth of nineteen he left Newark and located in southern Illinois, where he spent a few years. From there he drove half across the continent to Los Angeles, Cal., getting there when the western metropolis was only a very small city. He spent several years in California.

His desire for travel took him from California again and he drove across the plains to Denver, Col., where he put in a few years. He kept in close touch of the big gold strikes of the early days and to be near the scene of activities where pay dirt was the most promising, he followed trails to California and back to Denver, when those sections were very sparsely populated.

He came back to Illinois in 1866 and located on a farm in Dayton township, where he has resided ever since. In 1855 he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret V. Wilkins, who passed away in 1871.

Surviving he leaves three sons, Rush and Fred, of Dayton and Winfield, of Joliet, and one daughter, Mrs. Joseph Gibson, of Rock Island. He also leaves one brother, David Green, of Denver, Col., and two sisters, Mrs. Mary E. Eckert, of Los Angeles, Cal., and Mrs. Amelia DeLapp, of Denver, Col.

The funeral will be held from the late residence Friday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock, interment taking place in the Dayton cemetery.²

1. Ottawa [Illinois] Fair Dealer, July 21, 1911
2. Ottawa [Illinois] Free Trader, July 21, 1911, p. 7, col. 3