HISTORY OF STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 321 referred to when Governor Davis* presided, and that he attended this meeting more on account of a desire to see the Governor than for any particular interest in agriculture, be- cause he had heard so much about him prior to his arrival in Oregon. Governor Davis came to Oregon from Indiana, ar- riving at Salem December 2, 1853, and resigned and started on the journey east to Indiana on August 5, 1854. Prior to his coming to Oregon Governor Davis had been much in pub- lic life. The courtliness of his manners and the ease with which he presided over a public meeting made a lasting im- pression upon Mr. McCraken, which was readily recalled at a recent interview. Polk was the third county to fall in line in the matter of organizing an agricultural society, and the first meeting held for that purpose was on April 3, 1854, at Dallas. James M. Fulkerson was elected president, and John E. Lyle, secretary. On motion of Rev. John Rigdon the following resolutions were unanimously adopted : "Resolved, That we deem it expedient, necessary and proper to form ourselves into an agricultural society. "Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to pre- pare and draft a constitution, and report the same to our next meeting." Reuben P. Boise, Isaac Ball and John E. Lyle were ap- pointed said committee. After instructing the above committee to secure ' * some suit- able person to deliver an agricultural address at the next meeting," and fixing the date for holding the first fair on October 12, the meeting adjourned to May 25. The first meeting in Washington County for organizing an
- John Wesley Davis was born in Pennsylvania in 1799, and studied
medicine in his native State. He removed to Indiana when about thirty years old, and participated actively in the political affairs of his adopted State. This resulted in his being sent to Congress in the years 1835-1837, 1839-1841, and 1843-1847. During the last two years he was Speaker of the House of Representatives. During President Folk's administration he was Minister to China. He was appointed Governor of Oregon by Presi- dent Pierce in 1853. He died in the summer of 1859.
