Just have to share this tidbit - As an elementary school librarian, I was reading the children's Newbery Medal award winning book "Missing May" by the prolific author Cynthia Rylant. My eyes did a double-take when I came upon 'Sissonville' on page 74. A quick background check on the author shows that she grew up in West Virginia and knows the area well. Since I live in Wisconsin, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to learn more about the community. I learned that it is located approx. 10+ miles from Charleston with pop. 4,400. There are 3 schools (K-12) on Sissonville Drive. I found one interesting entry - a GREENBERRY SISSON was mentioned in "Sissonville Civil War Veterans Taken from (1988) "Sissonville A Time To Remember" page 229. By The Sissonville Historical ... C 2d West Virginia Inf. Spanish American War David Matheny. www.rootsweb.com/~wvkanawh/Civilwar/sisson2.html As I tried to learn how the town acquired its name and the year it was established, I found few entries: 'HISTORY OF FIRST METHODIST CHURCH, Lynch was born in Sissonville, West Virginia, May 14, 1860.' I finally found the answer to my question about the town's name. http://members.aol.com/jeff560/places.html 'Origin of West Virginia Towns." It was named for founder James Sisson*, according to his descendant John M. Cox. I wondered if there were any Sissons currently living in the town. I checked Whitepages and one Sisson showed up living on Sissonville Drive. As an aside, I came across an entry which made me wonder if anyone answered the 1999 Rootsweb question asking 'whatever happened to the Sissonville Historical Society?' Laura Sisson-Thompson (of R.T. Sisson line of Fairfax, Va.) P.S. I also came across an article written by a George W. Sisson, Jr. at http://www.racquetteriver.org/history3.htm . He wrote that sawmills in NY were built near waterfalls, and in 1892, a pulp and paper mill was established in in Potsdam. It's founders were largely old sawmill men and it's first president was George W. Sisson. Mr. Sisson came to Potsdam, NY, in 1867. P.S.S. *Whoa, when I tried to find out more about James Sisson and put in James Sisson + West Virginia in the search box, it took me to a site called "Political Graveyard" where there are the following Sisson entries: Sisson, A. E. — of Erie County, Pa. Republican. Member of Pennsylvania state senate, 1901-10, 1921-24; Pennsylvania state auditor general, 1910-13. Burial location unknown. Sisson, Charles P. — of Providence, Providence County, R.I. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1928. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown. Sisson, Edwin F. — of Tekamah, Burt County, Neb. Member of Nebraska state house of representatives, 1893-95. Burial location unknown. Sisson, Eugene P. — of Hamilton, Madison County, N.Y. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1900. Burial location unknown. Sisson, Frank W. — of La Crosse, La Crosse County, Wis. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 1932. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown. Sisson, Fred J. See Frederick James Sisson Sisson, Frederick James (1879-1949) — also known as Fred J. Sisson — of Whitesboro, Oneida County, N.Y. Born in New York, 1879. Democrat. U.S. Representative from New York 33rd District, 1933-37; defeated, 1922, 1928. Died in 1949. Interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Whitesboro, N.Y. See also: congressional biography. Sisson, Grant — of Mt. Vernon, Skagit County, Wash. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Washington, 1948. Still living as of 1948. Sisson, Henry Tillinghast — also known as Henry T. Sisson — of Little Compton, Newport County, R.I. Colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War; Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, 1875-77. Interment at Commons Cemetery, Little Compton, R.I. Sisson, Ray S. — of Indiana. Republican. Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 2nd District, 1930. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown. Sisson, Thomas Upton (1869-1923) — also known as Thomas U. Sisson — of Winona, Montgomery County, Miss. Born near McCool, Attala County, Miss., September 22, 1869. Democrat. Member of Mississippi state senate, 1898; Presidential Elector for Mississippi, 1900; candidate for Governor of Mississippi, 1907; U.S. Representative from Mississippi 4th District, 1909-23. Member, Freemasons. Died in Washington, D.C., September 26, 1923. Interment at Oakwood Cemetery, Winona, Miss. See also: congressional biography. Sisson, Victor — of Woodland, Barry County, Mich. Member of Michigan Prohibition Party State Central Committee, 1953. Still living as of 1953.