George Whipple Kies was born in Killingly, Connecticut, on November 7, 1828, into a large family of eight children, and was raised by his mother, Freelove. His father, Marvin, passed away when George was only thirteen. After attending local schools and the Killingly Academy, he gained valuable business experience working as a clerk for the Danielson Manufacturing Company and later operating a drug business in West Killingly. Seeking new opportunities, Kies moved to Norwich in August 1853, first finding employment at a confectionery store on Franklin Square while supplementing his income by keeping books for other local business owners.
In the spring of 1854, Kies transitioned into the footwear industry, working as a clerk at the wholesale and retail boot and shoe store of Gurdon A. Jones on Main Street. He spent twelve years learning every facet of the boot and shoe business before striking out on his own in the summer of 1866 with a storefront in the Rockwell Building. His venture proved highly successful, prompting him to move his business to the Austin Building at 80 Main Street in 1871, conveniently located directly across from the local post office.
As his enterprise grew, Kies rewarded the dedication of his long-term employees by offering them stakes in the company. In 1884, he brought his clerk of twelve years, James L. Coffee, into a partnership, renaming the business the George W. Kies Company. Decades later, in 1907, another veteran employee of twenty-seven years, James L. Crawford, was admitted to a partnership, and the business was formally incorporated as George W. Kies & Co., with Crawford eventually taking over the active management of the prominent local firm.
Beyond his commercial success, Kies was deeply integrated into the religious and evangelical life of Norwich. As a young man, he was an active member and officer of the Broadway Congregational Church. He subsequently founded the Norwich Holiness Mission, where he served as assistant superintendent. Their services were held at 87 Main Street. Mr. Kies also spent twenty years dedicated to evangelical and camp-meeting work throughout New England. A scholarly man of strong faith, Kies wrote several books on theology and church history, including Sanctification Definitely Sought and Obtained and Fifty Years in the Congregational Church, yet he remained a mild, winning gentleman who never sought public office.
Kies’s personal life was centered around his family and his home at 10 Laurel Hill Avenue in Norwich. On July 26, 1852, he married Ellen Cornelia Allen, a fellow Killingly native who shared his devotion to the Broadway Congregational Church until her death in September 1912. Together, they raised a son, George A. Kies (also recorded as George W. Kies, Jr.), who became a gifted organist, music teacher, and successful banker in Hartford.
When George Whipple Kies passed away at the age of 85 at his home on April 16, 1914, his legacy was carried on by his son and his two granddaughters, Mrs. Arthur E. Story of Norwich and Miss Mabel L. Kies of Hartford.
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