RICHARD J. OSBORN, of Lee township, was born in Adams county, Illinois, November 2, 1838. His father, David N., was born in Connecticut in 1806, and his father died in early life. David learned the shoemaker trade, and worked at it many years in the East. He married Martha Stafford, of Maryland, in Ohio, wither he had come by degrees, working at his trade as he went from town to town, always in a westerly direction. They came with one child to Adams county, Illinois, in 1837. They possessed some means and bought 160 acres of unimproved land, on which they built a small log house, and in which Richard was born. They resided in Adams county fourteen years, and then sold and came to Lee township, Brown county.

When they built their first home the nearest neighbors were five miles, and Mr. Osborn had never seen them, but that did not prevent them from coming to help him. When they reached Lee township, they bought 160 acres of prairie and eighty of timber. They paid $2,400 for these lands, which included a cabin and seventy-two acres broken. This was his life long home, though he died at Mound Station in 1883, in his seventy-eighth year. He left a widow and six children. She still survives him, making her home with Richard. The latter has been reared to farm life, and obtained only a fair amount of schooling. After Mr. Osborn married he settled here, where he has 198 acres of prairie land and forty of timber. He grows a mixed crop, - corn, wheat and grass. He keeps about fifteen head of horses and thirty of cattle. He turns off about seventy hogs a year, and has a small dairy in operation. He bought his first eighty acres in 1879, and has added to it from time to time. In 1860 he went to Denver, Colorado, and on to the gold mines forty miles west. He went with an ox team over the plains and followed mining in company with one other. While there he met with a sad accident, by which he lost his left hand and his left eye. It was caused by an accidental discharge of powder, February 11, 1861, hence his trip was not a financial success.

He was married in 1882 to Ella Long, of Brown county, Illinois. She was the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth (Buxton) Long. They are both natives of Illinois and farmers of this township. Mr. and Mrs. Osborn have two daughters, Edith M. and Alta P. Mrs. Osborn is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Osborn is a Republican, first, last and all the time. He is School Treasurer of Lee township, and has been Town Clerk. He and his wife are worthy people, and are highly esteemed by all who know them.