Born in Preston County, Virginia, now West Virginia, July 27, 1822. His parents were Michael and Maria (Armstrong) Criss. He was reared in Alleghany county, Maryland, where be obtained his education in the common schools. At the ago of seventeen he came west to Chicago and other points and remained several years. He then returned to Virginia and on March 9, 1843, he married Miss Frances Hall, and they came west together in 1844. They resided in Illinois and Wisconsin for a number of years. He was one of the organizers of the First National bank and was one of its directors and vice president. In the early affairs of Sac County no one bore a more prominent part than he. He served as a county supervisor and as a county judge. In 1868 he represented the district comprising Sac, Ida, Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the Iowa house of representatives. When the town was incorporated in 1875, Judge Cries very fittingly was elected the first mayor and served so acceptably that he was reelected. He was a staunch Republican on national issues, ready to give a reason for his political faith, though at times he was ready to join in independent movements when he believed his party to be wrong on local issues. He narrowly missed election to the legislature as an independent candidate in the '80's.