Louis E. Osmun

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Louis E. Osmun

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

Depending entirely upon his own abilities and efforts, Louis E. OSMUN, plumbing and steam contractor of Netcong, Morris county, New Jersey, has achieved a prominence in the business world that numbers him among the leading citizens of the county. The OSMUN family has been resident in the State of New Jersey for a number of generations, and Elisha OSMUN, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was one of three sons, and married Mary _______.

Joseph E. OSMUN, son of Elisha and Mary OSMUN, was born in Warren county, New Jersey, in 1824, and died in 1890. Until middle age he was a contractor, his work being the grading of streets and roads, and he laid out many of the streets of Hackettstown. Later in life he was a farmer, and was identified with this calling until his death. He was very public spirited, and for a long time served as a justice of the peace in Mansfield township. He married Mary COUGLE, born in 1837, died in 1913, and they had children: Asa H., a member of the firm of TAYLOR & OSMUN builders, of Hackettstown; George D., who is a farmer on the OSMUN homestead; Warren, died in infancy; Grant, a clothing merchant doing business under the name of The OSMUN Company, at Madison, Morris county; Emma, married Frank I. DAVIS, a member of a family prominent in that section; Louis E.

Louis E. OSMUN was born at Rock Port, Warren county, New Jersey, December 22, 1877. There he attended the public schools, and when he had been graduated from them he entered upon his business career with an earnestness of purpose which has distinguished him throughout his life up to the present time. He lived frugally and economically, saving as much of his earnings as possible in order to equip himself for his future life work. He became a student at the Hackettstown Institute, taking a complete commercial course, and defraying all the expenses of this himself. Entering the employ of the A. B. YETTER Globe Storage and Warehouse Company, he remained with this concern two years, and was then with his brother-in-law, Frank I. DAVIS, a hardware merchant of Nutley, New Jersey, for eighteen months. He commenced learning the plumbing trade with E. M. OSMUN & Son, of Hackettstown, but at the end of two years, matriculated at the New York Trade School, a State institution, and was with the F. G. Stephen’s Company, plumbing and heating contractors, for four years, during which time he was engaged in work in various sections of Morris county. When he severed his connection with this firm he associated himself with Thomas E. HAGGERTY under the firm name of HAGGERTY & OSMUN, which obtained until August, 1913, when he brought out Mr. HAGGERTY and since has conducted the business under his own name, establishing himself in Netcong where he has been for the past ten years. During this time he has executed the majority of the work in Netcong and Stanhope, in his line, and also that of the Public Water Works. He owns a fine home in Netcong. He is a member of the Musconetcong Lodge, No. 151, F. and A. M.; the Masonic Protective Association, and is president of the Netcong Fire Company. He is a member of Stanhope Presbyterian Church, joined the Second Mansfield Church in 1890. Mr. OSMUN married, April 22, 1902, Cora May, a daughter of David Miller HANN, of Pleasant Grove. They have had children: Helen May, born in 1903; Emma Evelyn, born in 1905; Paul, born in 1907. Mr. OSMUN is a man of liberal ideas, and while his business interests are extensive, he can always find time to aid in the cause of advancing the moral standard of the race.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)