James Withycombe
| James Withycombe | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 15th Governor of Oregon | |
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In office January 12, 1915 – March 3, 1919 |
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| Preceded by | Oswald West |
| Succeeded by | Ben W. Olcott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 21, 1854 , England, U.K. |
| Died | March 3, 1919 (aged 64) Salem, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Isabel Withycombe |
| Profession | Farmer |
James Withycombe (March 21, 1854 – March 3, 1919) was an American Republican politician who served as the 15th Governor of Oregon.
Withycombe was born to tenant farmers Thomas and Mary Ann Withycombe in in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1854. Withycombe immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1871, settling on a farm near Hillsboro, Oregon. He worked on his father's farm for four years, and in 1873 Withycombe purchased his own 100-acre (0.40 km2) parcel on the Horace Lindsay Land Claim, later expanding his holdings to 256 acres (1.04 km2).
Agriculture became Withycombe's passion, becoming a prosperous livestock breeder and establishing a reputation as a successful scientific farmer. On June 6, 1875 in Washington County he married Isabell Carpenter, and the couple would have a daughter and three sons together.
His success led to his involvement in local farming organizations. He became a charter member of the Farmington Grange, and later became a leader in the state grange movement. From these platforms, Withycombe's efficient, innovative, and profitable farming methods became a model for farmers across the Pacific Northwest. His stature gained him an appointment as State Veterinarian in 1889, where he would diligently work to improve conditions of livestock health around the state.
Although mostly self-educated, he was sought after by the Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis (now Oregon State University) in 1898 to be the head of the college's experimental farming station. He received his Master's Degree in Agriculture 1891 from OAC. Using this position to advance Oregon agriculture, he would play a major part in introducing alfalfa and clover to Eastern Oregon, laying the groundwork for the region's future agricultural economy.
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