Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 56] deceased, was born near Manor, Westmoreland Co., Pa., March 29, 1801, and when a boy removed to Deer Creek, Allegheny Co., Pa., with his father, where the most of his youthful years were spent. His father died before our subject grew to manhood, and Mr. Kissick showed his manhood and independent character at an early age, for when his father died he said "the world was his inheritance," and struck for himself. At the age of twenty-one he began farming near the old homestead, but after a few years changed to the mercantile business at Bolivar on the line of work of the canal between Philadelphia and Pittsburg. He subsequently became interested in canal construction, and followed that occupation until 1832, when he removed his business interest to New,Castle, where he purchased the corner lot between Mercer Street and Apple Alley, and built a substantial store and dwelling, a part of whose walls are in the present bank building, which was erected on that site. For a number of years he owned what is now known as the Raney grist-mill, and ran the same in connection with his store. He was one of the first stockholders and directors of the Bank of Lawrence County. He always had the interests of New Castle at heart, and was prominently identified with many of the great projects that have been very instrumental in aiding its growth and proper development; he was an active promoter and stockholder in the early railroad enterprises. In 1853 he held the office of burgess. For more than forty-four years he was one of the most active citizens of the city, giving of his time and means in general to all enterprises connected with the growth and prosperity of the place.
He was a man of good judgment and honest convictions, and tried to live and do right, and because of his strict integrity and open-heartedness of nature was often looked to for advice, which was frankly given as he thought was right. At the time of his death, he had finished a period of sixty-four years, in which he had been a ruling elder in the Associate Reform and then of the United Presbyterian Church. He was one of the organizers of the First United Presbyterian Church. His clear, practical sagacity and integrity in business gave him the full confidence and high esteem of his fellow-citizens both in his immediate neighborhood and beyond the confines of New Castle, where-ever his name was known. On Aug. 7, 1888, he was thrown from a buggy, and received injuries of so serious a nature that he succumbed to the dread power of death on the following day. He died the death of a man upright in the faith of his Master.
Mr. Kissick's first wife, Mrs. Margaret (Gilbraith) Kissick, died Aug. 2, 1873, and in the following year he was joined in wedlock with Miss Esther Cooper of New Castle, who still survives him.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 14 Apr 2001