WILLAM J. SISSON is one of the chief executives of the North
Pacific Trading & Packing Company, one of the important industrial concerns
of San Francisco and the State of California, and in this connection he is
virtually the successor of his father, the later Albert W. SISSON, who was head
of the company at the time of his death, he having gained no small measure of
pioneer distinction in connection with civic and business affairs in
California.
Albert W. SISSON was born in
Gowanda, Cattaraugus County, New York, in about 1828 or 1829. There were
three brothers, Albert William, Calvin and Frank. Their father was a
Quaker. It is believed that the family originated in France, and some of
the members later moved to England, several of them, later, immigrating to the
United States. Albert W. SISSON came to California in the early pioneer
days and engaged extensively in the cattle and merchandising business, his land
holdings in the state being very extensive. During the heavy construction
of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in California, SISSON, WALLACE &
CROCKER and later SISSON & CROCKER furnished the supplies to the
camps. When Albert W. SISSON went into the cattle business he was the
first man in the West to import the White Faced Hereford cattle from Australia,
and he was largely responsible in driving the long horns from the ranges.
He also imported the first stag hounds from Australia. He married in
California Bridget Ann SHERRY, a native of Ireland, who came to this country as
a young girl with her parents. Her parents were pioneers of the state and
her father was engaged in railroad work. Mr. and Mrs. SISSON were
the parents of four children: William J., a sketch of whom follows;
Joseph, who died in 1921; Cyrus T., residing in San Francisco, and Alfred W., a
resident of San Rafael.
William J. SISSON, who celebrated in 1923 the
fifty-fourth anniversary of his birth, takes a due pride and satisfaction in
claiming California as the place of his nativity. He gained his
preliminary education in the public schools and supplemented this by attending
Santa Clara College. He then became actively associated with the cattle
business, with which he has continued his connection during the intervening
years and in which he has achieved substantial success and distinct
precedence. He is one of the progressive and
public-spirited citizens who are doing well their respective parts in
advancing the industrial and commercial interests of San Francisco, and in this
city his attractive family home is at 2186 Vallejo Street.
As a young man of about twenty-four years, Mr. SISSON
wedded Miss Maria C. KRONKRITE, and the children of this union are Albert W.
F., who is at present on a ranch in Lake County, California; Clair C., engaged
in the cattle business in Lake County; and Madeleine, who is at home with her
mother.
Mrs. Maria C. SISSON was born in Calavaras County, the
daughter of Frank KRONKRITE of Knox County, Illinois. She was raised by
her uncle and aunt, Felix and Agnes DALY, the former a native of Philadelphia
and the latter of Ireland. They came to California, via the Isthmus of
Panama, in the '50s and Felix DALY was engaged in the roofing and wholesale
hardware and tin business. He became very prominent in San Francisco, and
passed away in 1890. Mrs. DALY carried on the business after his death,
and as she was a progressive , energetic woman she very materially extended and
increased the estate left by Mr. DALY. She was very active as a buyer and
seller of real estate, a woman of broad knowledge and keen intellect, and she
continued her operations until the last. She died in June, 1920, at the
age of eighty-six years.
Transcribed by Deana Schultz.
Source:
"The San Francisco Bay Region" Vol. 3 page 56-59 by Bailey Millard.
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc. 1924.
© 2004 Deana Schultz.
