Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/348

 340 GEORGE H. HIMES.

Of the persons just mentioned only one is now alive, viz., Mr. Enoch W: Conyers, of Clatskanine, Columbia County. Mr. Simeon Francis, already alluded to, was made an hon- orary member of the society. By this time it had been ascertained that it would be im- possible to hold the projected State Fair in Linn County, hence it was postponed for this year (1860), after which the following resolution was passed: "Resolved, That it is the opinion of this society, the first State Fair should be held at Oregon City, provided the citi- zens of Clackamas county shall comply with the requirements of the board of managers, in furnishing the society with grounds, fixtures, etc., for the said fair, the guarantee for which shall be furnished the president of the society so as to be laid before the board of managers at their January meeting. ' ' The question of State aid was being discussed more or less during these formative days, and when the legislature met in Salem, September 10th of that year, the friends of the move- ment sought .legislative support, To this end A. C. Gibbs,* chairman of the committee on judiciary, on September 27, introduced a bill "To encourage the State Agricultural So- ciety and the county agricultural societies," and this was supported by a memorial from the society. The bill was re- ferred to a select committee of which Medorem Crawford, of Yamhill County, was chairman, which reported it favora- bly, and the report was adopted. This gave encouragement to being elected in 1862 on the "Union" ticket, and took the oath of office on September 10 of that year. He was born in Cattaraugus County, New York, July 9, 1825, became a school teacher, and in 1849 a lawyer. That year he went to the gold mines in California, but not liking the condi- tions, with one hundred others, on September 12, 1850, he embarked for a new seaport on the Oregon coast called "Umpqua." He laid out the town of Gardiner, and in 1852 was the first member of the legislature from Umpqua (now Douglas) County. After his term of four years' service as the "war Governor" of Oregon, which was a peculiarly trying period in the history of Oregon, he was United States District Attorney for the District of Oregon. He died in London, England, in January, 1887. and his remains were brought to Oregon for burial by act of the Legislative Assembly.
 * Addison C. Gibbs was the second Governor of the State of Oregon,