 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.