In his private practice, he made house calls by horse, buggy, bicycle, and eventually by automobile.

[1][3][4][5] Kuykendall made weekly trips from Eugene to Salem to deliver his medical lectures at Willamette.

He was also a member of the Knights of Pythias, Woodsmen of the World, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the local Rotary Club.

[8] Kuykendall won Lane County's state senate seat in the general election with 1,899 votes.

[9] After his election, Kuykendall took his seat in the Oregon State Senate during a special session that began on September 16, 1898.

[14][15] Since Oregon state senate terms are for four years, Kuykendall did not have to run for re-election prior to the 1901 session.

When the legislature began to consider the various candidates for Oregon's open United States senate seat, Kuykendall initially supported Binger Hermann.

However, he eventually switched to support John H. Mitchell, who was ultimately elected to the United States senate.

[16][17][18][19] At the Lane County Republican convention in 1902, Kuykendall was nominated for re-election to the District 4 state senate seat.

[27] Because he was midway through his four-year term, Kuykendall did not have to run for re-election prior to the 1905 legislative session.

This impasse lasted for 65 ballots, until one of Carter's supporters broke the deadlock by switching his vote to Kuykendall.

Near the end, Kuykendall and his legislative allies arranged a joint session of the legislature to approve several contentious appointments to state commissions.

While some members of the legislature objected to the decisions made in the joint session without committee recommendations, the governor agreed the appointments were valid.

[38] He attended Lane County's 1908 Republican convention, serving as chairman of the resolutions committee, which laid out the party's platform.

Eventually, the hospital grew into a major medical facility with twelve physicians practicing at the institution.

[2][3][5] After Kuykendall's son John graduated from medical school in 1911, he joined his father's practice in Eugene.

During World War I, the younger Kuykendall organized a volunteer hospital unit made up of 125 men from the University of Oregon.

Doctor John Eberale Kuykendall died in Le Mans, France, of spinal meningitis on February 23, 1919.

[41][42][43][44] After his first wife died in May 1921,[clarification needed] Kuykendall married Anna May Rowland of Eugene on July 19, 1922.

[3][5][45][46] Kuykendall remained active in his fraternal lodges throughout his life including the local Masons chapter, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, and United Workmen.

[49] Today, Kuykendall's papers are in the University of Oregon library's special archive collection.