Osborn was born on September 9, 1858, in
Iola, Wisconsin. His father was a
Waupaca County, Wisconsin judge. Osborn graduated from high school in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, before moving to
Hurley, Wisconsin. He also served in the
Wisconsin Army National Guard. In 1900, Osborn married Alice L. Wyckoff. They had two children. Osborn died at the
Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota, on April 19, 1940. ==Political career==