Gilbert Dziewanoski Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 243

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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GILBERT DZIEWANOWSKI, commonly known as "Gib Dzie," is the genial and 
popular proprietor of the Merchants Hotel of Woonsocket, South Dakota. 
He was born in Wisconsin, in 1847, and is a son of Vincent and Mary J. 
Dziewanowski. The father was born in Poland and was a member of the 
Polish nobility, but banished to the United States after the rebellion 
in 1830. The mother, however, was born in Virginia, of Scotch Irish 
ancestry, and all her people were southerners. 

Upon his father's farm our subject spent his early life in much the 
usual manner of farmer boys, and engaged in work in the wood and tie 
business during the winter months. As his school privileges were very 
poor, most of his education has been obtained through practical contact 
with the world. At the age of twenty-five years,- May 19, 1873,- he 
married Mary Stanley, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Dr. Josiah and 
Angeline (McAllister) Stanley, the former a native of New York and a 
graduate of Rush Medical College, Chicago, and the mother a native of 
Ohio. Mrs. Dziewanowski was the eldest child in a family of three. Her 
sister Ellen is the wife of R. B. McIntyre, now residing in Wisconsin; 
the brother, William J., is also married, has a family and resides at 
Waterville, state of Washington. To the union of our subject and wife 
five children have been born; those living are Florence and Harry, both 
living at home with their parents. Soon after our subject was married 
he engaged in the livery, and soon after the mercantile business at 
Avoca, Wisconsin. In 1878 he moved upon a farm in Wisconsin, where he 
remained until he came to South Dakota in April, 1882. He brought his 
family to Howard, South Dakota, in 1882. There he built and conducted 
the Howard House, the second hotel erected in the place, and remained 
there for a year and a half. Since then he has made his home in 
Woonsocket, coming here when the town was quite small. He erected the 
Merchants Hotel, of which he has since been proprietor. Besides this 
property he owns land in Miner, Jerauld and Sanborn counties, for he 
has prospered in his new home, being a man of good business ability and 
sound judgment. He also conducts a livery stable in connection with his 
hotel, and deals in cattle and horses. He is enterprising and 
progressive, energetic and industrious, and the success that he has 
achieved in life is certainly justly merited. 

In political sentiment Mr. Dziewanowski is a stalwart Republican, and 
in 1884 he was elected on his party ticket to the office of county 
commissioner, which he filled for ten years in a most creditable and 
acceptable manner. He has also been a member of the city council and 
was appointed president of the same during the year 1886, and was 
elected mayor of Woonsocket in 1894. His official duties have always 
been most conscientiously discharged.