William H. Farrar Explained

William H. Farrar
Office:13th Mayor of Portland, Oregon
Term Start:1862
Term End:1863
Predecessor:John M. Breck
Successor:David Logan
Office2:U.S. District Attorney for the Oregon Territory
Termstart2:1853
Termend2:1859
Appointer2:Franklin Pierce
Office3:Delegate to the Oregon Constitutional Convention
Constituency3:Multnomah County
Term3:1857
Birth Date:1826
Birth Place:New Hampshire, United States
Death Place:Washington City, District of Columbia, United States

William H. Farrar (November 20, 1828 – November 21, 1873) was an American politician who served as mayor of Portland, Oregon, in 1862. Appointed as Oregon Territorial District Attorney in 1853 by President Franklin Pierce,[1] he served as District Attorney for Oregon from 1853–1859. In 1857, he was a delegate to the Oregon Constitutional Convention representing Multnomah County. According to the Oregon State Archives, he voted against approving the Constitution.[2] He was elected in 1862 as the mayor of Portland, Oregon. He died on November 21, 1873, in Washington City, District of Columbia (present-day Washington D.C.).[3] The October 18, 2012, edition of the Portland Mercury listed Farrar as the "Worst Mayor Ever." According to the article, at the beginning of Farrar's term, he informed the city council he had to take a three-month leave of absence for business. He was never seen in Portland again.[4]

Notes and References

  1. The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, March 1901
  2. Web site: Biographical Sketch of William H. Farrar. 2009. Oregon State Archives. 2023-02-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022143011/http://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/constitution/Pages/during-about-farrar.aspx. October 22, 2020. dead.
  3. "Death of W. H. Farrar" (November 25, 1873). The Morning Oregonian, p. 3, col. 2. Quote: "W. H. Farrar ... died in Washington City last Friday".
  4. The Portland Mercury, October 18, 2012.