Just months after William Pennington settled Pennington’s Point, William Osborne camped in the summer of 1828 along a creek on the border of Scotland and Industry townships. The area became known as Camp Creek, named for the creek itself. Osborne had migrated from Kentucky with the Pennington and Carter families. His daughter Rebecca, who married William Pennington in 1820 in Indiana, also came to McDonough County with her family.
The 1907 Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois – McDonough County described the area as having large timber along the creek, with hazel brush, crab apple, and plum trees covering the surrounding land. Today, this site is home to Camp Creek Cemetery.
William Osborne spent the remainder of his life in McDonough County and died on September 14, 1838, as the area began to develop. He left ten children; seven remained in the county as adults and married into other founding families, including the Russells, Joneses, Mayfields, and Cockerhams.

William Osborne was born one year to the date after the signing of the Declaration of Independence (4 Jul 1777) in Virginia, the son of Robert Osborne and Anne Howard. He married Kesiah or Keziah Smith in 1800 in Ashe, North Carolina and their first child, Reebecca, was born a year later.

Their children were:
• Rebecca Osborne Pennington, Mrs. William Pennington (1801-1874)
• Nancy Osborne Ashworth, Mrs. Chesley Ashworth (1801 – ?)
• Eli Osborne (1806 – 1866) married Martha Patsy Luttrell
• Larkin S. Osborne (1808-1881) married Delilah Belyeu
• Lydia Osborne Russell, (1813-1872) Mrs. Caswell Russell
• Ruth Osborne Goodspeed, (1815-1889) Mrs. Norman Goodspeed
• Matilda Osborne Cockerham Claybaugh, (1820-1896) Mrs. Andrew J Cockerham, #2 Mrs. John Claybaugh
• Elizabeth H. Osborne Jones, (1816-1860) Mrs. Morgan Jones
• John S. Osborne, (1828-1910) married Susanna Elizabeth Osborn
• Tabitha D. Osborne Mayfield (1830-1889) Mrs. James Henry Mayfield
• Mary Osborne, no known information available

No known photographs of William Osborne exist, but images of two of his sons, Larkin and John Osborne survive.

Pioneers of the Past is furnished by Julie L. Terstriep, of the McDonough County Genealogical Society, facebook.com/mcdcgs, https://www.mcdcgs.com/pioneers-of-the-past/