James Withycombe (March 21, 1854 – March 3, 1919) was an
English-American
English Americans (historically known as Anglo-Americans) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England.
In the 2020 American Community Survey, 25.21 million self-identified as being of English origin.
The term is disti ...
Republican politician who served as the
15th Governor of Oregon.
Biography
Withycombe was born to tenant farmers Thomas and Mary Ann Withycombe in
Tavistock, England, in the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great ...
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 parcel on the Horace Lindsay Land Claim, later expanding his holdings to .
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 had a daughter and three sons together.
Farmer and educator
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
The Grange, officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and ...
. 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 diligently worked 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
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
) 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 played a major part in introducing
alfalfa
Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as ...
and
clover
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...
to
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity; thus, the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost ...
, laying the groundwork for the region's future agricultural economy.
Withycombe also became heavily involved in Oregon's agricultural industry, serving as president of the North Pacific Wool Growers and Northwest Sheep Breeders Associations. His tenureship on the board of the Oregon Academy of Sciences saw the dairy industry's profits rise from $2.5 million to $20 million. Such accomplishments built up respect for Withycombe statewide and gained the state Republican Party's attention.
Governorship
Withycombe entered politics in the
1906 Oregon gubernatorial election. He won the Republican nomination in the primary but lost in the general election to incumbent Democratic Governor
George Earle Chamberlain
George Earle Chamberlain Sr. (January 1, 1854 – July 9, 1928) was an American attorney, politician, and public official in Oregon. A native of Mississippi and member of the Democratic Party, Chamberlain's political achievements included appo ...
. The
1910 gubernatorial election of controversial
Democratic Governor
Oswald West
Oswald West (May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960) was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon.
He was called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the mo ...
energized Oregon Republicans, who tapped Withycombe for the
1914 gubernatorial race. He handily defeated challenger Charles Smith; the first Republican Governor to assume office via election since
T. T. Geer in 1903.
As Governor, James Withycombe vigorously promoted agricultural development. A notable proposal from his administration was to ask the
Legislative Assembly to subsidize
flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
production as a prison industry.
The Withycombe Administration backed the "Good Roads" movement, creating the Oregon Highway Commission while in office. With the new commission in place, a large road-building program was initiated, establishing many of Oregon's modern state routes and highways.
Upon the
U.S. entry into the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Governor Withycombe took a vocal and patriotic position in support of the war effort. He encouraged volunteer military service, and promoted the state's war industries.
While in office, he took a strong position against labor unions. He spoke out publicly against the
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines gener ...
, claiming that it terrorized labor and would cripple industry following several instances of IWW threats to disrupt production in 1917. He organized veterans of the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clo ...
into an Oregon State Defense force, and encouraged citizens in Eastern Oregon to form self-defence committees to defend the state against violent labor agitators. Withycombe used his powers as Governor to prevent a shipyard strike in
Astoria, by calling out the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
N ...
.
His
1918 reelection campaign capitalized on his wartime acts, portraying him as a wartime Governor actively protecting the state and aiding the defense of the United States. These efforts gained him a second term, of which he only served two months.
Death and legacy
Withycombe died in office of a heart condition on March 3, 1919, succeeded by Secretary of State
Ben W. Olcott. He was interred in Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum in
City View Cemetery in
Salem, Oregon
Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary bet ...
.
Withycombe Hall at
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
is named after him, as he was the head of the agricultural research station at OSU's predecessor (Oregon Agricultural College). The building is home to the Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, and it contains an auditorium used by the Theater Department.
Camp Withycombe, a military facility in
Clackamas, was named for him.
See also
*
List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
References
External links
Oregon State Archives: Withycombe AdministrationPhoto and public speeches of Governor James Withycombe.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Withycombe, James
1854 births
1919 deaths
Republican Party governors of Oregon
Oregon State University alumni
Oregon State University faculty
Industrial Workers of the World in Oregon
Politicians from Hillsboro, Oregon
English emigrants to the United States
Burials at City View Cemetery
19th-century American politicians