Orson S. Head

Orson Sherman Head (October 9, 1817 – February 19, 1875) was an American lawyer. He practiced law in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and served three terms as county prosecutor. He was a great-grandfather and namesake of Orson Welles.

Orson S. Head
Born	Orson Sherman Head 9 October 1817 Paris, New York
Died	19 February 1875 (aged 57) Kenosha, Wisconsin
Occupation	Attorney
Spouse(s)	Mary Jane Treadwell (1846–1875)
Relatives	Orson Welles (great-grandson)

Biography

A descendant of John Alden, Orson S. Head was born on October 9, 1817, in Paris, New York. He worked on the family farm with his five brothers, and studied law in New York.[1] In 1841, he moved to Wisconsin Territory, where he was admitted to the bar. Head settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and practiced law.[2]

Known for his flaming red hair and beard, sturdy physique and forceful personality, Head was elected prosecutor for Kenosha County three times.[1] In 1851 he served one year in the Wisconsin State Senate, filling a vacancy.[2][3]

Head was the great-grandfather and namesake of famed actor and filmmaker Orson Welles. Orson S. Head was married to Mary Jane Treadwell in 1846, and they had seven children. His eldest surviving child, Mary Blanche Head, married Richard Jones Wells; their son, Richard Hodgdon Head Welles, was the father of Orson Welles.[1]

Head died of pneumonia February 19, 1875, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.[2]

References

1. Higham, Charles, Orson Welles: The Rise and Fall of an American Genius. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985. ISBN 0-312-31280-6 pp. 23–27
2. Orson S. Head. Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin for the Years 1878, 1881 and 1885. Madison, Wisconsin: The State Bar of Wisconsin, 1905, pp. 208–210. 1905. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
3. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1915, p. 256.

External links

• Orson S. Head at Find a Grave