California's famous judge and realty dealer
DECEMBER 2006 - In December of 1941 California Real Estate Magazine recognized Judge William Henry Osborn as one of the state's "most famous characters" and, at the time, the "oldest native son realty dealer."
At the age of 85 Judge Osborn was Merced County's oldest justice of the peace and longest in incumbency. He was called a staunch advocate of the doctrines of Lincoln, McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. The magazine referred to him as "a walking book store of information on early California history centering around Amador, Merced, Stanislaus and Tulare counties."
Osborn's parents were pioneers who crossed the plains for a new life on the Pacific Coast. His father knew many colorful 19th century Californians including the notorious Sierra bandit leader Joaquin Murietta. Judge Osborn was born in San Francisco in 1856 and was proud that he never left the state in his life. He never traveled farther north than Sacramento or south of Tulare. He died in 1943.
