Simon W. Lisk, of Linesville [Crawford County, PA], was born August 1, 1794, 
at Otsego, Otsego county, N. Y. Here he received a common school education,
and learnt the trade of wagon maker. Given a natural fondness for and aptitude
in botany, as boy he studied the flora of his native country, and devoted his 
spare time to investigation in this science, making the medicinal properties 
of plants a specialty. Removing to Roscoe, near Auburn N. Y., he there opened
a wagon shop and carried it on for eight years. Meanwhile he became pupil of
an eccentric Indian herb doctor, who had acquired consider able fame in that 
region for his wonderful skill in treating disease by means of the natural 
remedies furnished by the woods and fields. From Otsego he removed to 
Weatherfield. Genesee County. N. Y., and there remained some time. farming and 
treating disease at every opportunity. In March, 1835, he came to Crawford 
county and bought one hundred and thirty acres of wild land about two miles 
from the present site of Linesville. On this place he he [sic.] stayed two 
years. He then bought five, and afterward fifty acres, which he now owns, just 
west of Linesville. Since then he has lived there, farming and making 
practical use of his rare familiarity with medicinal botany, and on that 
account has borne for years the title of Doctor. He was married in 1817 to 
Miss Alvina Strong, of New York State.