James Withycombe

James Withycombe (born March 21, 1854 in Tavistock , England , † March 3, 1919 ) was an American politician and from 1915 to 1919 the 15th governor of the state of Oregon .

Early years

James Withycombe grew up in England and came to the United States with his parents in 1871. The family settled on a farm near Hillsboro , Oregon. Withycombe first worked there on his parents' farm before buying his own farm. Agriculture was his great passion back then. He mainly raised sheep and cattle.

Withycombe was so successful in his profession that he soon fell into the public spotlight. He became a member of several farmers' associations. In 1889 he was appointed state veterinarian. In 1898 he was called to the Oregon Agricultural College , now Oregon State University , where he lectured on modern agriculture. At this university he also became head of the agricultural research station. Withycombe set new accents in the agriculture of Oregon and laid the foundation for the further rise of this industry.

Political career

Withycombe was a member of the Republican Party . In 1906 he applied for the office of governor for the first time, but failed in the primary elections of his own party. In 1914 he had more success and was elected the new governor of Oregon with 48.8 percent of the vote against the Democrat C. J. Smith. He was inducted into office on January 12, 1915. Given its origins, it is not surprising that Withycombe continued to promote and support agriculture. But he was also active in other areas. So the roads in Oregon were expanded back then. This also happened against the background of the expected increase in automobile traffic. At that time, a separate traffic authority, the Oregon Highway Commission , was founded.

Withycombe's grave slab in Salem

During his tenure, the United States entered the First World War . The governor wholeheartedly supported the federal government's war effort. Industrial production was converted to armaments and young men were drafted and drafted for the military. He opposed efforts by a socialist workers' union ( Industrial Workers of the World ) that appeared to endanger arms production. Veterans from the Spanish-American War were brought in to represent the soldiers of the National Guard who were on duty until they returned.

In 1918, Withycombe was elected to a second term by voters. However, he died just two months after they took office. Under the state constitution, State Secretary Ben W. Olcott had to end his term of office. James Withycombe was married to Isabel Carpenter, with whom he had four children. He was buried in the Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum in City View Cemetery in Salem .

Web links

Commons : James Withycombe - Collection of images, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Withycombe, James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 21, 1854
PLACE OF BIRTH	Tavistock , England
DATE OF DEATH	March 3, 1919