The Sisco Home, 2020.

The Sisco Home, ca 1960.

Plot of Sisco Farm Land.

The Sisco Farm—A Century Farm.

Sitting at the top of Niles-Vienna Road is what is commonly called the Sisco farm. The brick farm house was built in 1881 in the Federal Style and then as was the custom with barns, the roof had the completion date arranged on the slate shingles—1886. George Sisco was born in 1876 in the area of the Austria -Hungary Empire that straddles the borders of present day Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1886 the same year that the barn was completed. In 1899 he married his wife Anna, who had also immigrated from the same area as George. They became U.S. citizens in 1913.

George and Anna bought the farm in 1919 from Martha, Belle and Jennie Shaw. The farm had 80 acres when purchased and increased to 120 acres with land that is now Shadow Ridge developed by Lou Tripodi, the Bonnie Brae Avenue area developed by Marty Brutz and Park Place Condominiums developed by Jerry Altobelli.

The farm consisted of the brick house, milkhouse, the big barn and stables which later became farm machinery maintenance and storage garages. The Sisco family grew corn, potatoes, hay, straw, fruit from the orchards and raised chickens, pigs and dairy cows. Sisco and Sons pasteurized, bottled and delivered their own milk until the mid-century. The farm switched from raising dairy cows for milk to beef cows which were sold for their meat.

Many Niles residents recall school trips to the farm to see and touch the animals, feed the chickens, gather eggs and the hayrides around the farm at the end of the tour. George and Anna were blessed with ten children: Steve, Ethel(Sanko), Julia(Yakop). Nancy(Pietrouski), Frank, Jessie(Kines), Mary(Gobush). George, Jr., and Helen(Nestor). From these siblings, there are 21 first cousins who visited the farm in the summers as they grew up.

As the 1985 tornado traveled up Niles – Vienna Road, many farm buildings, especially the big barn, were damaged or destroyed by the 300 mph winds.The many pine trees that surrounded the house were also uprooted but buffered the winds and protected the house which suffered only minor damage and still stands on the property.

Russ Samuels, former Niles City Health Department Administrator, who helped oversee the response to the tornado damage, told this story about the farm. “After inspecting all the damage to the Sisco Farm buildings, I found two eggs from the chicken coop sitting on the house kitchen window sill, still unbroken.” The children of Frank and Helen: Ron and Connie Sisco, Marianne DeChristofaro, and Diane Mizicko are the stewards of the Sisco and Sons Dairy Farm. Today the farm is open for hay, straw and eggs. Sadly, the big barn and hayrides are only fond memories.

Times newspaper Sisco Farm article.

George and Anna Sisco, ca 1920.

Ron Sisco and his pony, 1955.

Arlene Pietrouski feeding chickens.
ca 1953.