farmer, businessman, automobile manufacturer, b. Nassau, Germany. He migrated to the U.S. and to Wisconsin in 1857, and worked for several years as a farmer in Washington County. He settled in Hartford in 1883 where he acquired interests in hardware, lumber, banking, and real estate firms. He was mayor of Hartford (1894-1895), and in 1905 the Hartford Plow Co., of which he was president, began the manufacture of gasoline engines. In 1906 an automobile was produced, and its success led to the incorporation of the Kissel Motor Car Co., which was in operation from 1906 to 1934. His son, GEORGE ALBERT KISSEL, b. Washington County, became president of the Kissel enterprises after his father's death in 1908. Primarily through his efforts, the "Kissel Kar" became nationally known for its telescopic shape and early enclosed body design. The company was forced to cease automobile production during the depression. C. Quickert, ed., Washington Co. (2 vols., Chicago, 1912); Hartford Press, Sept. 1, 1908; Hartford Times Press, Oct. 23, 1942.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Kissel Kar Company Records for details.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]