OHY_Mss1129 Guide to the James Withycombe Papers 1862-1943 Withycombe (James) papers Collection processed by Doug Guidi, Feb. 1997 Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Oregon Historical Society, Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-306-5240 Fax: 503-219-2040 E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
©2006 Finding aid encoded by ArchProteus2006 Finding aid is in English Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard) Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-306-5240 Fax: 503-219-2040 E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Mss 1129 Withycombe, James, 1854-1929 James Withycombe papers 1862-1943 1883-1919 4 cubic feet (9 document cases) Papers of an Oregon farmer, agronomist, and governor of the state during World War I. Includes political correspondence, farm and livestock records, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station records and accounts, and news clipping files. Materials in the collection are in English Biography of James Withycombe

James Withycombe was born in Tavistock, Devonshire, England in 1854. Educated in England, he came to Oregon in 1871 and eventually became a U.S. citizen in 1900. He settled in Hillsboro, Washington County, studied agriculture, and became a recognized agricultural expert. He served as the director of the Oregon Agricultural College's experiment station (later part of Oregon State University) and was credited for introducing alfalfa to Oregon.

In 1914 Withycombe was elected governor of Oregon on the Republican ticket. Serving throughout World War I, he promoted military service and helped the state reach 92 percent of its manpower quota in enlistment. He also organized the state's first military police force, signed a prohibition bill, and established the State Highway Commission in 1917 in an effort to improve Oregon's roads. He was re-elected in 1918 but died the following year from a heart ailment.

Papers include: Correspondence (1918) with Republican committee members, news editors, and supporters of Withycombe's 1918 re-election campaign; farm, sheep and cattle records, as well as Oregon Agricultural College experiment station records (1876-1909); R. A. Carpenter's estate papers (1862-1898); and Withycombe's citizenship records (1900). Papers also include clipping files, 1915-1918, on a variety of subjects, with the bulk related to the 1918 reelection campaign. Correspondents include Edward E. Brodie, John W. Cochran, J. M. Shelley, Thomas H. Tongue, Jr., and Woodrow Wilson.

The collection is arranged in three series:

Series A: Correspondence

Series B: General Materials

Series C: Bound Volumes

Series D: News Clippings

The collection is open to the public.

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

James Withycombe papers, Mss 1129, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Gift of Thomas Withycombe, 1967 Jan. 4, Library Accession 10294.

The collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings:

Brodie, Edward E.--Correspondence Carpenter, R. A. Cochran, John W.--Correspondence Shelley, J. M.--Correspondence Tongue, Thomas H., Jr.--Correspondence Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence Withycombe, James, 1854-1919--Correspondence Oregon State University. Agricultural Experiment Station. Republican Party (Or.) Oregon--Politics and government Agriculture--Oregon--Experimentation Agricultural experiment stations--Oregon British Americans--Oregon Cattle--Oregon Elections--Oregon. Governors--Oregon--Correspondence Governors--Oregon--Election Oregon--Politics and government--1859-1950 Sheep--Oregon Agriculture Colleges Government and Politics Oregon Citizenship papers Estate records Letters Series A Correspondence 1/1-2 Correspondence in support of Chester B. Moores's campaign for Secretary of State 1916 Correspondence regarding Withycombe's 1918 reelection campaign 1/3 A 1918 1/4 Ba-Be 1918 1/5 Bi-Bri 1918 1/6 Brodie, E. E. 1918 1/7 Bro-By (except E. E. Brodie) 1918 1/8 Ca-Cla 1918 1/9 Cochran, John W. 1918 1/10 Cl-Cus 1918 1/11 Da-De 1918 1/12 Di-Dy 1918 1/13 E 1918 1/14 F 1918 1/15 G 1918 2/1 Ha 1918-1919 2/2 He-Hi 1918 2/3 Ho-Hy 1918 2/4 I 1918 2/5 J 1918 2/6 K 1918 2/7 L 1918 2/8 McA-McC 1918 2/9 McD-McS 1918 2/10 Ma-Mi 1918 2/11 Mo-My 1918 2/12 N 1918 2/13 O 1918 2/14 Pa-Pl 1918 2/15 Po-Py, Q 1918 2/16 Ra-Ri 1918 2/17 Ro-Ry 1918 3/1 Sa-Se 1918 3/2 Shelley, J. M. 1918 3/3 Sh (except J. M. Shelley) 1917-1918 3/4 Smith, S. S. 1918 3/5 Si-Sm (except S. S. Smith) 1918 3/6 Sn-Sy 1918 3/7 Tongue, Thomas 1918 3/8 T (except Thomas Tongue) 1918 3/9 U-V 1918 3/10 Wa-We 1918 3/11 Wh-Wi (except Withycombe) 1918 3/12 Wo-Wy 1918 3/13 Y-Z 1918 3/14 Letters to Withycombe from his secretary 1915-1918 Series B General Materials 3/15 Campaign records, notes, and other materials 1916-1918, undated 3/16 Family letters 1900 3/17 Other correspondence, documents, general materials 1883-1943

Includes letter from President Woodrow Wilson, 1916 Aug. 22; and ex-President William Howard Taft, 1916, Jan. 3.

 3/18 Agricultural awards, certificates 1891-1897 3/19 Eulogies 1919 Series C Bound Volumes 4/1 "R. A. Carpenter's Book," 1862-1880

Includes James Withycombe administrator's accounts, estate, through circa 1898.

 4/2 Cotswald sheep book (James Withycombe) 1876-1898 4/3 Cattle records 1891-1902 4/4 Account book (James Withycombe) 1899-1903 4/5 Date book (appointments) 1917 4/6 "Plot record no. 1, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station," 1888-1889

Also includes seed distribution and other accounts through 1909

 5/1 Cash book, Agricultural Department, Oregon Experiment Station 1890-1896; 1901-1907 5/2 Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station -- List of visitors, clippings, and ephemera circa 1898-1901 Series D Clipping files

Newspaper clippings in scrapbook form, 1915-1918, from most Oregon and some Washington cities, on following subjects: C. T. HaasB. K. LawsonOregon Penitentiary. 1915Willis C. HawleyPatriotic LeagueState Highway CommissionJulius L. MeierE. C. HarlowBoard of HealthDirectory of Unions [1917?]Gehlhar, MaxGirls' Industrial SchoolLittlefield, E. V.Gantenbein, C. U.Fish and Came CommissionState Fair BoardEmergency Board.Raton, Allen HDesert Land BoardOregon Defense CouncilCoos Bay Wagon Road GrantConsolidation CommissionCochran, GeorgeClark, E. J.Bowlby, H. L.Beaver Rivar Power CompanyI. W. W.Industrial Accident CommissionHughes, Charles EvansState Land BoardOregon-California Land Gant caseLiberty LoansOlson, Conrad P.Grant, F. S.Moores, C. B.Multnomah County, Or.Olcott, Ben W.Oregon National GuardOregon Naval MilitiaGrangeDuffy, T. E. J.Wallace, N. G.Stanfield, Robert N.Anderson, J. E.Straub, JohnMcllary, Charles L.Simpson, L. J.Pierce, Walter H.Daylight Saving TimeMoser, GusBenson, SimonProhibitionSpence, C. E.Bailey, C HHarris, L. T.Loyalty OathsWest, OswaldWestern States Water ConferenceVocational Education BoardTax. Limitation LawWoman-SuffrageAlbin, Clarence E.Labor Conciliation Board

 Subjects 6/1 A-B 1915-1918 6/2 C 1915-1918 6/3 Consolidation Commission (University regents) 1915-1918 6/4 D-E 1915-1918 6/5 F-G 1915-1918 6/6 "Governor Withycombe personal" 1915-1918 7/1 H 1915-1918 7/2 I-J 1915-1918 7/3 L 1915-1918 7/4 "Labor" 1917-1918 7/5 M-N 1915-1917 7/6 O 1915-1918 7/7 "Oregon-California land grant case" 1915-1918 8/1 Oregon National Guard 1915-1918 8/2 P-Q-R 1915-1918 8/3 T-U-V 1915-1918 8/4 W, Y 1915-1917 8/5 "War" 1917-1918 8/6 "Water power" 1915-1916 8/7 General 1915 8/8 General 1916 8/9 General 1917 9/1 General 1918 Jan.-Mar. 9/2 General 1918, Apr. 9/3 General 1918, May-Aug. 9/4 General 1918, Sept.-Nov. 9/5 General clippings found together in one folder 1915-1916

Includes anti-Withycombe campaign literature.