Willard (Jr.) & Anna (Uhl) GREEN(E)
Children: Addison Theodore; George Leroy; Amanda Melvina; Abner Charles; James Lucien and Bloomfield Humphreys GREEN

I noticed that on the GenWeb site for Lorain Co., Ohio there was a person who was trying to find this same exact family in 1999. They stated in thier query that this family was farming in LaSalle Co., Illinois in 1850.

I sent an email to the person(s) that posted the query, but must be an old email address, because it came back to me. (I also posted this same message of the Lorain Co. Ohio Message Board)

I believe that this person was looking in Lorain Co., because in Will of Willard Greene, Jr. it states that his son, James Lucien was b. in Henrietta, Ohio. Actually James was born in MARIETTA, Ohio. There is an Henrietta in Lorain Co., but many times the letters "H" is mistaken for a "M" and the letter "n" is sometimes mistaken for the letter "r" in desipering old handwriting styles. Census reports, names of children and Court documents prove that this is the same family.

I'm hoping that the person who put this query on the Lorain Co., website will email me someday, so I can tell them, that I found the family they were looking for. I also have much more information that I am willing to share. :o)

LaSalle Co., Illinois Probate Records.
GREEN, WILLARD Box: G File: 24 Year: 1853 Book: A
The probate record of Willard Green who died in LaSalle Co., Illinois lists 6 children James Lucien; Bloomfield; George Eugene; Amanda Melvina; Addison Theodore; and Abner Charles. He had a wife Ann. From the cemetery records he was born in 1800 in PA and died 25 Oct, 1886. His first son James Lucien was born in Henrietta, Ohio. (This should be "MARIETTA, OHIO") (The date of death is not correct. It SHOULD read that he died in 1853 or 1856. (Probate Index shows 1853). Willard is no where to be found in any census record after 1850. In 1860 Anna is living with her son Bloomfield.) I also believe that Willard was born in Ohio as stated in the 1850 census, and not PA.

Willard Greene, Jr. was employed by George Henderson of Wood Co., Virginia as a 'slave catcher' in 1847 when a nego named Stephen escaped from the Henderson Plantation, and was hiding out at the David Putnam home across the river in Harmar, Washington County, Ohio. In trying to capture Stephen, Willard was assisted by his three sons, Addison, Charles and George, and 4 other men who lived in the Harmar district. They were Henry Thompson, James Marshall, Joe Hill, and Ancil Cowen. Willard Greene and Ancil Cowen gave a lengthly dispositions about it in the 1847-1852 Fugtive Slave Case when George Lewis tried to sue David Putnam of Marietta, Ohio for assisting slaves escape from his plantation. WILLARD GREENE, JR. and his future son in-law ANCIL B. COWAN gave lengthly dispositions about how they were involved on October 9th, 1850. The case was evidently through out of court for lack of evidence.----For more information about this, contact me or Henry Burke who is a Washington Co., Ohio UGRR historian.

Willard Greene, Jr., sold his land in Warren Twp., Washington County, Ohio, just 6 days after he gave is disposition about how he was involved as the 'slave catcher' for George W. Henderson. The sale of land occurred on October 15, 1850 -- Deed Book 41, page 63 -- Willard Green and Anna his wife to Calvin Finch -- property in Range 9, Township 2, Section 3, known as the "Stone House Farm" -- signed by John Scott, Justice of the Peace.

Willard Greene, Jr. and his family migrated from Washington Co., Ohio to LaSalle Co., Illinois between Oct. 16, 1850 to late Sept. 1851. This is after Willard sold his land in Washington Co., Ohio and the time his dau, Amanda married Ansil Cowan Oct. 7, 1851 in LaSalle Co., Illinois.

Debbie Noland Nitsche
Diamonddeb@comcast.net