David Osborn was the son of David Osborn II and Cynthia (Butler) Osborn. He married Nancy Thorn on the 25th of December 1857 in Three Mile Creek, Utah.

He married Elizabeth (Standley) Osborn, the widow of his older brother around 1862. They were only married a short time before she divorced him. He and Elizabeth had one child, a son named Leonard Charles Osborn.
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David Osborn, Jr., the popular landlord and useful citizen of Rexburg, Idaho, as a lad suffered all the sad effects of the unjust persecutions with his father's family, who were rendered poor and driven from place to place by religious bigotry, under the capable instruction of his father, however, receiving much more education than fell to a lot of most of the children of his association.

He drove a team of three yokes of oxen and one yoke of cows all the way along the emigrants' trail to Utah, walking all the distance.

In Utah, he remained with his father until December 25, 1857, when occurred his marriage to Miss Nancy Thorn, a daughter of Ashal and Sarah (Lester) Thorn.

She was born in Crawford county, Pa., on October 24, 1841, and accompanied her parents to Utah in 1853, being a resident of Box Elder county at the time of her marriage.

For three years after marriage Mr. Osborn was employed on the farm of his eldest brother, then moved to the Cache Valley and took a homestead in the new settlement at Hyrum, where he erected the first residence of the place.

In June 1861, his brother, Thomas J., died at East Weber, and at the request of the family, Mr. Osborn removed thither for one year to take charge of the farm and settle the estate.

He then bought a farm at Three Mile Creek in Box Elder county, near Mrs. Osborn's people, and conducted this until July 1865, when he moved to the new settlement of Montpelier, in Bear Lake county, Idaho, where for seven successive years he gave his entire time to vigorous farming operations, during all of this time harvesting not a crop of value, on account of frosts and the depredations of grasshoppers. He persevered, however, and in time his diligent industry was rewarded by the possession of a fine farm and a pleasant home on the main street of the city.

During his life in Montpelier, he was a very capable postmaster for fourteen years, a popular justice of the peace for sixteen years, and he was the efficient captain of the Montpelier company of the Nauvoo Legion during the entire life of that organization.

An active man of business for twelve years while making his home in Bear lake county, Mr. Osborn was engaged in filling large contracts of railroad construction, building the line from Nampa to Boise, and for years being employed in charge of highly important and especially difficult work at various points on the Oregon Short Line.

Not having land enough to supply his sons with labor, in 1895 he sold his Bear Lake possessions, and, in the spring of 1896, came to Rexburg, his present residence. Here he purchased land with a partially finished house upon it, which he enlarged and completed for hotel purposes, opening the Osborn House, which has proved a very popular place of entertainment, in the spring of 1900.

Mr. and Mrs. Osborn have been most diligent and effective in the care of their guests and their house has a well-earned reputation. Mr. Osborn is a strong Republican and is serving his third term of justice of the peace in this city, has also been a member of the city council for two terms, also holding the important offices of supervisor and watermaster with conceded ability.

In church relations, he has been very active and useful. While living at Three Mile Creek he was the president of the local branch of Brigham City ward, and at Montpelier, he was a highly serviceable counselor to five bishops, holding the office until his removal to Rexburg; in this city, he has been a member of the High Council of the stake for three years.

In all his relations, civil, religious, and social, he has received the encomiums of his associates for his faithfulness and ability and won the friendship of the best citizens of the various communities where he has maintained his residence.

The children of this honored couple, with a brief record, concludes most fittingly this interesting sketch: David A., born on September 4, 1859, a rancher, resides in Lemhi county,Idaho; Cynthia A., born on June 6, 1861, married A.J. Bird and resides in Rexburg, Idaho; Sarah Vianca, born February 1, 1863, married R.C. Young and died on January 18, 1892, leaving one child, David R.; Mary M. born on January 14, 1865, married J.M. Phelps, and lives in Montpelier, Idaho;, d; Lydia J., born on March 12, 1867, resides in Rexburg; Nancy A., born on April 26, 1869, is also at the parental home; Margaret A., born July 21, 1871, married H.E. Rigby and lives in Rexburg; Jefferson L., born October 19, 1873, lives at Gransville, Utah, and is a teacher; William W., born on February 14, 1876, has filled a two-years mission in Kentucky, and is now at the Osborn House; John Richard, born November 18, 1877, at the present writing is filling a mission in British Columbia; Isaac Melvin, born on April 7, 1880, is teaching at Hibbard, Idaho; Glenn Milton, on January 1, 1887, is a student at Ricks Academy."

Progressive Men of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Fremont, and Oneida Counties, Idaho, Chicago, A.W. Bowen and Co., 1904. Page 335.