HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1970-10-29, Page 9v
A Polish youth, born in St.
Petersburg, where his father was
an Officer of the Imperial Guard;
was exiled .frotn Russia for
participation in a POliSh umising.
The United. States received hint
lel
at, the age of 17; Canada claimed
him at 29. A half -century later,
as an Imnorary aide-de-camp to
Queen 'Victoria, he represented
Her Majesty at the stateiuneral
of Sir John Macdonald in June,
1891.
"Just before , the Senate
chamber was - 'closed, in which
the body of Sir John had lain in
state," it, Is recorded, "Sir
Casimir Growski walked forward
and placed up.Qn the casket a
*beautiful wreath of white -and
yellow -roses from. Her Majesty."
Close behind the mourners, at
the funeral in Kingston, came a
carriage bearing Colonel Sir,.
Casimir Growski, representing
Her Majesty.
At, that time, Sir Casimir was
78. He had been knighted
K.C.M.G only. the year before,
but had held the rank of colonel
from the date of his
aide-de-camp appointment in
1879, and ctOubtless wore the
ot uniform of the Royal Canadian
Engineers, Six -feet four, he
would have 'been an impressive
figure.
, In March 1961, the Canadian
government issued a special '
postage •Stamp —marking the
lgOth anniversamof the birth of
Sir Casimir Growski who, as a
11
OODRIOR SIONAletra;, VIVREIDAY, 00TO
a
. —
brief newspaper paragraph
stated, "came to Canada M1842
and became an outstanding canal
and railway builder."
There was once a street
named for him, but "the local
council was induced to change it
to something simpler, bedhuse
the town officials found
difficulty" in spelling the name."
(It is Pronounced "Zoski.")
Goderich perhaps ought to
have such a street name,
inasmuch as Casimir Stanislaus
Growski (not then Sir) uwas a
property owner and taxpayer
here for 15 years. However, the
house he owned, 37 'Essex
Street, isstill standing and the
exterior has been vastly
improved and the interior
refurnished by Mr. and Mrs.
James Burgess Smith, , of
Clarkston, Michigan. W. Smith is
a Manufacturer of office
supplies. Recently he acquired a,
country place in the Detroit
area.
Mrs. Smith is the former
Betty Harland, daughter of Mrs.
Albert Tune Harland, .of Royal
Oak, Mich., whose husband, a
native of Clinton, died about 12
years ago. Mrs. Laura Harland is
a daughter of the late Walter
Sharman, a Goderich building
contractor and onetime owner
. of 37—Essex. She is a 'niece of
Miss Isabel Sharman, long a
public-schooF -teacher- -in
Goderich.
William Lee a Goderich
Couple
inerchant remembered by many*,
evidently lived in the "Growski
house from 1877 to 1899.
Subsequent :owners were Martha'
Warrack, Walter Sharman and his
daughters.
It is •a typical elapboard
building or the period, and it :Is
not surprising to find Malty.
floor beams, even under •the
kitchen, and twelve -paned
windows. The original shutters
have been replaced. There is a
large extension at the rear,
currently used as a kitchen. Mrs.
Harland , entertains a certain
sentiment . for the place, firstly
because it was her father's and
seeondly because it was earlier
owned by a man who in his time
was Canada's most distinguished
civil and military engineer.
As with many west -end
• houses in Goderich, its history
goes far baCk. In 1842, "Squire"
John Longworth sold Lot 148 to
James Gentles, apother well
know citizen of the period. Next
owner :was David Bryden, who in
1854 sold to John Galt of
Ridgewood Park, registrar of
deeds. In 1857 there came to
town C.S. Growski, civil
engineer and partner in the firm
of contractors engaged in
building the Toronto -Sarnia
railway --the original "main line."
He evidently Was concerned in
some way with harbor work,
_possibly elevator construction,
and he designed the lighthouse
which—Ai:tarn MacVicar built in
1853.
Engineer Growski evidently
•
P
•
Slender sidelights lend interest to the door of the "Growski house."
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4'
Story ond photos
by W. E. Elliott'
required a field office. He was this - was
acquainted' with the Gaits; Sir
Alexander had given • him the
contract t� build the Atlantic &
St. Lawrence between Montreal
and Island Pond and thus started
him on his , railwaY-huilding
career, and he was also one of
the partners ‚in the
Toronto -Sarnia 'contract. John
Galt, brother or SirAlexander
and a resident here, undertook
to have' a house built for
Growski. The latter adyanced.
film 600 pounds sterling, on a
mortgage, and. the record shows
•
discharged in 1872,
some six years after Galt's death.
• It would be interesting to
search the files of the Huron
Signal for information as to the
engineer's regional activities, but
for most of the 15 -year period
they are missing. W.E. Greening,
of Montreal, eo-author of a
biography of Sir Colsimir, writes;
"As a matter 'of fact, material
about the ° early years of
Growski's life hv Canada is very
scatkty, with exception of data
about his engineering work. I
Sir Casimir Growski 0813-1898) famous civil engineer and
railway contractor, owned a house in Goderich for 15 years.
. (Public Archivesof Canada photo.)
Stone fireplace in living room is original.
imagine that in the region about
. London there must be other
sources which would throw light -
on this phase of his career."
In London, where Clowski
lived for several years, it is
recorded that -"the romantic
story of his life, his'aristocratic
origin, his personal charm,
together with his important
government ccinnections, soon
won him friends among the
elite."
Only two years after hi
arrival in Canada, Growski was
one of a committee of 10 which,
after • St. Paul's church in
London burned on Ash
Wednesday, 1844, ordered it
rebuilt 2'of solid brick, on a
stone foundation." -
An odd bit of information
concerning - his third year in
Canada is. found in the Bruce
County history by .Norman
Robertson, who relatei that the
governni nt sent out a party to
explore the, Saugeen river, and at
- its head was Lt. Col. Casimir
Growski; at that time holding a
postion in the department of
public works. Accompanying
him were James Webster, of
Fergus, afterward registrar) of
Wellington, and Thomas Young,
Crown lands agent at Arthur.
Going north, probably by way
of the Garafraxa canoe, making
notes as they journeyed. These
must have recorded Bruce as
k
•
seen for a first time by white
. men, but they were not
preserved." .
Casimir Stanislaus Growski
.was a graduate, at 17, of the
Lyceum of • Krzemuniev, •at
which he studied*, Surveying,
mathematics, science and
languages. With all due
allowance for the scarcity of
qualified engineers in
pre -Confederation Canada,
Growski's rise to eminence,
seems remarkable, and speaks
well for the Polish School and his
own application. He came to
Canada. originally . to , advise
upon enlargement of the
Welland Canal. Joining'. the
palc. works dePartment, he
planned many sections of
highway, built bridges and
railways'. He built in 1871-73 the
international bridge across the
Niagara, and a bridge- over the
Thames at London. He
supervised harbors and rivers, on
Lakes Erie and Huron; improved
the harbors of Montreal,
Toronto, Port Stanley and
Rondeau.
His engineering career was not
less remarkable than the scope
of his other interests. In
business, these included the
Ontario Bank and' Toronto
Rolling Mills. He was one of the
founders and earliest officers of
the Canadian- Society of Civil
Engineers, and there is a bust in
the Montreal office of the
pgineeringInstitue of Canatla.
He was president of the Council.
of Wycliffe, for nearly 20 years a .
SellatOr of the University Pt
Toronto, and rirst president of .
the Ontario Jockey Pub,Peter .°
Growski, o TdrOnt.oi"
great -great-grandson, has written
in Maclean's Magazine that Sir
Casimir "took the Marquis,pf
Lorne and Princess Luise to see
the Queen'i Plate run in 188a, • •
and thereby started the chain of
events that led, ,to the Queen
giving Toronto permanent
' possession of the race she had
licridowed."
Sir.casimir was firsthairman
of the Niagara Parks Commission
and planned the park system
. along the Canadian bank of the.
river. ITe was president of the
Ontario and Dominion Rifle
Associations and gave the
Growski Trophy for the best
militia unit, won in several
recent years by the 48th
• Highlanders of Toronto. He have
• the Growski Cup for
competition within the
Dominion Rifle Association, and
the Growski Medal awarded by
the- Engineering Institute of
Canada.
Sir' Casimir married, before
coming to Canada, Maria Beebe,
of Geneva, N.Y., and they had
five sons and three daughters.
Numerous descendants of this
"former Goderich man" reside
• in Canada.
• The Essex street housa today, remodelled by Mr. and Mrs. .James Burgess trnith, of Clarkston,
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