The following biography of William can be found at http://www.calarchives4u.com/biographies/sanfrancisco/sf-ship.htm.
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
