Appointed as Oregon Territorial District Attorney in 1853 by President Franklin Pierce,[2] 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.
[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.