As governor, Kibbey was a leader in the effort to prevent Arizona and New Mexico territories from being combined into a single U.S. state.

[3] After military service in the American Civil War, the elder Kibbey worked as a trial judge until 1885.

"[2] Kibbey was nominated by Harrison to become an Associate Justice of Arizona Territorial Supreme Court on August 5, 1889.

[11] Kibbey's most renowned ruling came when he was assigned to Phoenix, where he heard Wormser et al v. Salt River Canal Company, Case No.

The role of the canal company likewise became that of a simple delivery agent and water was allocated to the various tracts of land based upon the principle of prior appropriation.

[15] For the rest of his life Kibbey preferred to be addressed by the title "judge," feeling that presiding over a courthouse was a more prestigious position than even his later role as governor.

An example of this was the February 1891 Salt River flood, which washed out the railroad bridge at Tempe and caused damage in Phoenix as far north as Jefferson Street.

This was followed by a drought that killed livestock, forced a third of the farmland in the Salt River valley out of cultivation, and caused many residents in the area to abandon their homes.

[22] To address this requirement, Kibbey helped found the Salt River Valley Water User's Association.

The articles Kibbey created not only met the legal requirements of the Newlands Reclamation Act but balanced the interests of the Salt River Valley's existing and future residents.

[13][23] Governor Alexander Oswald Brodie appointed Kibbey Attorney General for Arizona Territory on November 19, 1904.

[24] President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Kibbey governor of Arizona Territory on February 27, 1905, and he took the oath of office on March 7.

[25] Despite President Roosevelt's support of the proposal, Kibbey swiftly proclaimed his opposition, noting the widespread disapproval of the plan by the citizens of Arizona.

[33] Kibbey instead signed the bill into law, noting it increased tax revenues to the territory and was an improvement over the previous situation.

[35] These proposals were made primarily as a means of raising the territory's perceived moral situation as part of efforts to gain statehood.

[13] The 25th legislature proved to be highly partisan, with the Democratic-controlled session opposing many of their Republican governor's efforts.

[38] The session overrode vetoes to bills eliminating the position of Territorial Examiner and creating a literacy test for all Arizona voters.

[40] The final key veto override involved a bill authorizing territorial schools to segregate "African" students.

[41] On his last day in office, territorial employees presented the outgoing governor with a set of cut-glass drinkware, a 254-piece service of silverware, a cherry chest inscribed with his initials, and a gold watch as tokens of their appreciation.

[40] After leaving office, Kibbey returned to his private legal practice and also served as counsel for the Salt River Valley Water User's Association.

[17] Upset over President Taft's actions during Arizona's efforts to gain statehood, Kibbey split from the Republicans and supported the Bull Moose Party during the 1912 elections.

After taking lessons, he found that he tended to lose control of the vehicle when operating it at the higher speed afforded by third gear.