Wayne County IN Archives Biographies.....Osborn, John November 28, 1801 - May 2, 1874
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Glapha Cox rcoxfam@earthlink.net January 24, 2006, 8:15 am

Author: History of Wayne County, Indiana;Volume II, (1884)

Perry Township
p. 707 - 709

John Osborn, son of Charles and Sarah (Newman) Osborn, was born in Knox 
County, Tenn., Nov. 28, 1801. His early life was passed with his parents, and, 
like all children of early pioneers, his educational advantages were limited. 
His innate desire for knowledge, especially for the sciences, overcame all 
difficulties, and while other boys were spending their leisure hours in sport 
he was spending his in study. Acquiring a thorough knowledge of mathematics 
and natural science and a fair acquaintance of literature and art, with but 
little aid from schools, he did not appreciate the value of institutions of 
learning. He studied medicine with Dr. Thomas Carroll, first in Richmond and 
going with him to St. Clairsville, Ohio. He completed his studies but never 
practiced, giving as a reason that it did not deserve the name of a science as 
medicine was so uncertain in its effects. He turned his attention wholly to 
the culture of fruit and to the nursery business. To him, more than any other 
man, does Wayne County owe the reputation she has had for nearly fifty years, 
of the quality of her fruit. Before starting his nursery in Economy, in 1833, 
he walked to Long Island and back again, to obtain the best varieties of fruit 
grown in the East, carrying the cuttings in his hand; and in grafting did not 
lose a single variety. After testing them, if he became convinced that any 
variety was not suited to this section he rejected it. He was also particular 
to whom he sold trees, saying he wished to sell only to those who would take 
care of and be benefited by them. His close observation enabled him to tell 
one variety of tree from another as readily as a backwoodsman distinguishes 
the different forest trees. Not only Indiana, but Michigan, Illinois and Iowa 
are largely indebted to him for fine fruit trees. He took pleasure in studying 
the laws that govern the growth of vegetables and plants, cultivating them 
year after year to obtain a particular variety. For forty years prior to his 
death he kept a meteorological record, making three observations a day, and 
requested his family to keep it ten years longer. His son Josiah is carrying 
out his wishes. Valuable geological specimens collected by him are still in 
the possession of his family. Mr. Osborn was married May 9, 1833, to Rachel, 
daughter of Josiah and Polly Johnson, of Dover, Wayne Co., Ind. Seven children 
were born to them---Amanda M., born Jan. 30, 1834, died Jan. 4, 1835; Emily, 
born Jan. 23, 1837; married Elisha Wright; died Oct. 24, 1855; Elim, born Dec. 
16, 1838, is a resident of Economy; Ellen, born Dec. 8, 1843, married Robert 
Haxton; Josiah, born Jan. 19, 1846, also a resident of Economy; Sarah Zerelda, 
born July 15, 1853, married Benjamin Limming, July 18, 1881, and died Feb. 14, 
1883; Martha, born Nov. 30,1855. Mr. Osborn died May 2, 1874. His widow still 
resides in Economy.

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