Gzowski, Casimir Stanislaus
Colonel, engineer, lawyer. Born in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, March, 1813. He is the son of a Polish nobleman, Stanislaus, Count Gzowski, who was an officer of the Imperial Guard. Destined for a military career, he entered the Military Engineering College at Kremnitz (Krzemieniec), where he remained until 1830. He there evidenced a strong liking for engineering, and, on his graduation, received a commission in that branch of the service. When the Polish revolution against the rule of Russia took place, he threw up all his prospects in the army, and took his place in the ranks of his fellow patriots. He was present at the Polish triumph in Warsaw, and took part in the engagement which followed, being several times wounded, and having, on more than one occasion, narrow escapes from the hands of the Russian forces. When the final catastrophe occurred, at the battle of Boremel, General Dwernicki, to whose division Gzowski was attached, surrendered, and the officers were imprisoned in the fortifications for several months, being afterwards exiled to the United States. The rank and file were allowed to depart. Gzowski landed in New York in 1833, and there found himself at a considerable disadvantage on account of his ignorance of the English language. He was, however, endowed with an indomitable will, and he set himself to the study of English with the same resolution which has characterized him throughout his career. Being an excellent linguist, and having a thorough knowledge of French, Italian, and German, he gave lessons for several months, after which he went to Pittsfield, Mass., where he entered a law office. During this time he applied himself to a study of English, and in 1837 he was admitted to the Bar. He went to Pennsylvania, where, as a necessary preliminary to admission to the Supreme Court, be took the oath of allegiance. He had however, little inclination for the study of law, and in 1841 he came to Toronto, where he obtained employment in the Department of Public Works. He was successively Engineer of Roads and Harbours in Western Ontario, 1842-1848: Engineer of Harbour Works at Montreal, 1850 1853; and Consulting Engineer and Ship Channel Improvement between Montreal and Quebec, 1850-1853. At a later period he became Chief Engineer of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway Company. This position he resigned to form a partnership with A. T. Galt, L. H. Holton and David MacPherson, for the purpose of railway construction. The firm had the contract for the building of the Grand Trunk Railway between Toronto and Sarnia, besides some other important works. In 1870, he was appointed a member of a committee to enquire into and report upon the water communications of the Dominion. In the following year he became Engineer of the International Bridge across the Niagara, and he was also called upon to report on the enlargement of the Welland Canal and on the Baie Verte canal scheme. He has always taken a deep interest in the military affairs. He was president for some years of the Dominion Rifle Association, and was instrumental in sending the first Canadian team to Wimbledon. He was made a lieutenant-colonel in 1872, and full colonel in 1879, and in the same year was appointed an honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Queen. In 1890, in recognition of valuable services rendered to the Dominion of Canada, he was created a K.C.M.G. [Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George]. In November, 1896, he served as Administrator of the Government of Canada. Politically he inclined to Conservatism, in religious faith he was a member of the Church of England. He was the first President of the Society of Canadian Church of England. He was also the first chairman of the Niagara Falls Park Commission. President for some years of the Toronto Club; Vice-president of the Ontario Bank; President of the London and Canadian Loan and Agency Company; President of the Wycliffe College. Married in October, 1839, Miss Maria Beebe, vice-president of the Y.W.C.A in Toronto. His career in Canada has been one of extraordinary success but any one who has watched its progress will admit, that his success has been chiefly due to his high personal qualifications. Gzowski died at Toronto on Aug. 24, 1898. The Polish immigrants in Canada paid him high tribute in 1938. A monument was erected in his honor at Niagara Falls, Ont. by the Government of Ontario, Canada. Inscription on monument: "Colonel Sir Casimir Gzowski, K.C.M.G., Aide-de-Camp to the Queen Victoria; Niagara Falls Park Commission."From: "Who's Who in Polish America" by Rev. Francis Bolek, Editor-in-Chief; Harbinger House, New York, 1943