What is James Withycombe?
{{Infobox_Governor |name= James Withycombe |caption= |order=15<sup>th</sup> |office= Governor of Oregon |term_start= January 12, 1915 |term_end= March 3, 1919 |lieutenant= <!--Oregon has no Lt. Gov. position--> |predecessor= [[Oswald West]] |successor= [[Ben W. Olcott]] |birth_date= March 21, 1843 |birth_place= [[Devonshire]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|U.K.]] |death_date= March 3, 1919 |death_place= [[Oregon]] |spouse= Isabel Withycombe |profession= [[Farmer]] |party= [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] |footnotes= }} '''James Withycombe''' (March 21, 1843 – March 3, 1919) was a British-born [[United States|American]] politician, a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], and the 15th [[Governor of Oregon]]. ==Early life== Born to Thomas and Mary Ann Withycombe in [[Devonshire]], [[England]], English tenant farmers in 1843. Withycome emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1871, settling on a farm near [[Hilsboro, Oregon]]. After turning 17, he spent four years working on his father's farm. In 1873, Withycomb purchased his own 100 acre parcel on the Horace Lindsay Land Claim, later expanding his holdings to 256 acres. Agriculture became Withycomb's passion, becoming a prosperous livestock breeder and establishing a reputation as a successful scientific farmer. ==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. From these platforms, Withycomb'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 head up the college's experimental farming station. He received his Master's