Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Osburn, Nial Nye ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 7, 2008, 2:00 am Author: Past and Present Will County IL; 1907 Nial Nye Osburn, who has now advanced far on life's journey, has had in many respects a most eventful career and in former years was one of the largest wheat raisers of this part of the state. His life history embraces pioneer experiences in the far west, even before the period of mining excitement in California and goes down through the later decades of modern development and improvement, keeping him in touch with the agricultural progress of Will and Grundy counties and making him in the course of years, as the result of his well directed efforts, one of the wealthy farmers of northern Illinois. He was born in Athens, Ohio, November 19, 1819, and pursued his education in the schools of Mansfield, Ohio. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Gildersleeve) Osburn, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Scotland. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, spent much of his life in Ohio and met death in a runaway accident. His wife, who was a member of the Baptist church, also died in the Buckeye state. They were the parents of three children but Nial N. Osburn, the second son, is the only one now living. Reared in the state of his nativity, Mr. Osburn of this review lived in Lancaster, Ohio, for a number of years and made his way to the middle west in April, 1841, stopping first in Iowa. In the spring of 1843 he started overland with ox teams for Oregon, being a member of the first caravan that made the trip. When the party arrived at Fort Hall, Mr. Osburn continued on his way toward the Sunset state, traveling on horseback. He swam many rivers on the trip and thirty-one times he has thus crossed the South Platte river. Nine times he has crossed the continent and has been a witness of the evolution of travel from the days of the old ox train to the period of the modern Pullman coach. On that first journey he endured the hardships and privations incident to such a trip, arriving at Oregon on the 1st of October, 1843. There he remained until the spring of 1847, engaged in mining, after which he returned to Pennsylvania, where he spent the winter. In the spring of 1848 he left Pittsburg by boat for St. Louis, Missouri, and proceeded down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and thence up the Missouri river to St. Joseph, Missouri, from which point he started on an overland trip to California in the spring of 1849. On the return trip he left California by boat, crossed the isthmus of Panama by way of the Nicaraugua route on foot, and thence proceeded by steamer to New Orleans and on to Havana, where he spent one day. He then made his way to Cincinnati by way of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and on to Pittsburg, whence he proceeded to Philadelphia. There he had his gold converted into coin at the United States mint, after which he went to New York city, but the middle west attracted him with its advantageous opportunities and he again turned his face toward the setting sun, proceeding as far as Chicago. From that city he came to Florence township, Will county, in the spring of 1850. He first purchased four hundred and thirty-two acres of land and later he bought seven hundred and twenty acres near Star Grove. Subsequently he made purchase of thirty-nine hundred acres of land known as the Goose Lake farm in Grundy county, making the purchase with government scrip. He thus carried on farming on an extensive scale, bringing his land under a high state of cultivation and making many improvements thereon. He erected some forty buildings in all, including fourteen dwellings and a large number of barns. He also sank twelve artesian wells. In 1860 he raised over fifteen thousand bushels of wheat on his land, becoming one of the most extensive wheat producers of the state. Thus he carried on his farming operations on a mammoth scale for a long period, being one of the leading representatives of agricultural life in this great state. He has since given much of his Illinois land to his children but he still owns two sections in Kansas and a fine farm in Wilmington township, Will county, together with two hundred and eighty acres of coal land. Following his return from the Pacific coast Mr. Oshnrn was married, September 22, 1853, to Miss Sarah E. Steadman, who was born April 22, 1832, at Cornwallis, Kings county, Nova Scotia, and died January 11, 1889. They were married in Florence township, Will county, where Mrs. Osburn had previously engaged in teaching school. She was a daughter of Daniel and Henrietta A. (Gilmore) Steadman. Her father, who was born in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, November 17, 1802, died at Star Grove, Will county, Illinois, June 6, 1850, while his wife, who was born September 15, 1808, at Horton, Nova Scotia, died November 26, 1884, at Wilmington. They were married in Horton, May 5, 1829, and became the parents of eight children but only two are now living: Nancy M., the wife of John Campbell, a resident of Wilmington; and Dr. Charles E. Steadman, who is living in Junction City, Kansas. Mr Steadman removed from Nova Scotia to South Boston with his family in 1844. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade and thus provided for the support of wife and children. In 1850 he came to Illinois, settling at Star Grove, Will county, but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, for his death occurred six weeks later. He was a well read man, of more than ordinary intellectual force and literary taste, and he wrote a number of poems. He held membership in the Presbyterian church and gave his political allegiance to the whig party. Mr. and Mrs. Osburn spent their married life upon a farm in Will county until 1870, when they removed to Lawrence, Kansas, but five years later they returned to Will county and Mr. Osburn now lives in Wilmington. Five children were born unto them: William, born October 3, 1854; Samuel E., December 24, 1856; Mary, July 14, 1859; Lucinda G., July 17, 1861; and Charles S., October 18, 1867. Extended mention of William and Charles Osburn is made on another page of this work. Mr. Osburn cast his first presidential vote for General William Henry Harrison and was a supporter of the whig party until its dissolution, when he joined the ranks of the new republican party. His life history if written in detail would prove a most interesting study, giving a correct picture of frontier experiences in the far west during the early days of mining development in Oregon and in California. He was for years one of the most prominent representatives of agricultural interests in Illinois, and the rest which he is now enoying is the well merited reward of his close and unremitting attention to business. In all his undertakings he has been reliable as well as accurate and systematic, so that his name has ever been an honored one in business circles. Additional Comments: PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/osburn2611nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 7.6 Kb