Casimir Gzowski

Engineer

• Born: March 5, 1813
• Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Russia
• Died: August 24, 1898
• Place of death: Toronto, Ontario

Contribution: Casimir Gzowski was a lawyer, army officer, and engineer who immigrated to the United States from Russia in the 1830s, before relocating to Canada. During his life, he contributed to a number of engineering projects, including railways, bridges, and canals. His most notable accomplishments include the international railway between the United States and Canada and the bridge across the Niagara River connecting Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York.

Early Life and Education

Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski was born on March 5, 1813, in St. Petersburg, Russia, to parents of Polish decent. His mother was Helena Pacewicz, and his father was Count Stanislaw Gzowski, a Polish army officer. Gzowski attained his education at the Lyceum of Krzemieniec, a prep school from which he graduated in 1830. Later that same year, he was involved in the Polish uprising of 1830 and was eventually forced to leave Russia, making his way to North America. When he arrived in New York, he quickly made a name for himself, first as a lawyer—he completed a law apprenticeship in 1837 and went on to open his own practice—and then as an engineer working on the Beaver and Ohio River Canal. In 1839, he married Maria Beebe before relocating to Canada.

Engineering Career

In 1841, Gzowski traveled to Canada to search for engineering opportunities for the Welland Canal. Although Gzowski did not contribute to the canal’s construction, he accepted a government position as the superintendent of roads and waterways. Gzowski and his family relocated to London, Ontario, in 1842. During this period, Gzowski helped improve a number of waterways and canals and oversaw the construction of roads, harbors, and bridges.

As his success continued, Gzowski worked mostly out of Toronto, Ontario, but in 1848, he left his government position to work for the Upper Mining Company. This position required him to work along Lake Huron to examine mines and properties in the area. Gzowski was in charge of a number of engineering projects as well. One of his greatest accomplishments during this time was the completion of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, which opened in 1852. Later that same year, Gzowski and some partners opened a contracting firm, C. S. Gzowski and Company, and won a bid to build the Toronto and Guelph Railway.

Through the 1850s, C. S. Gzowski and Company undertook a number of projects, including the Grand Trunk Railway. Later in the decade, the company became involved in industrial promotion and real estate. The Toronto Rolling Mills was one of the company’s most thriving investments during the late 1850s and into the middle of the 1860s.

During the mid-to-late 1860s, Gzowski became more involved in society. He and his wife often entertained Toronto’s highest society citizens and held lavish gatherings, balls, and dinners at their mansion, the Hall.

At the beginning of the next decade, Gzowski won a bid to build a bridge across the Niagara River. Although many difficulties stood in the way, Gzowski was successful, and the bridge opened on October 27, 1873. Also during this year, Gzowski served as a lieutenant colonel with the Canadian militia and gained the honor of aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria in 1879.

Gzowski remained with the militia throughout the 1880s, eventually attaining the rank of colonel. He also served as the first chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission from 1885 until 1893 and helped create a public park near Niagara Falls. Later in the decade, he helped found the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers and served as its president from 1889 to 1892. He was knighted in 1890 by the prime minister of Canada.

Personal Life

Gzowski died on August 24, 1898, in Toronto. He was survived by his wife and children who remained at the Hall until Gzowski’s son sold it in 1904. The grand mansion was destroyed, but the site was turned into a community center and park. A plaque in Ontario and the Gzowski Medal are awarded each year to an outstanding written engineering contribution in Gzowski’s remembrance.

Bibliography

Filey, Mike. Discover & Explore Toronto’s Waterfront. Toronto: Dundurn, 1998. 95. Print.

Nelles, H. V. “Gzowski, Sir Casimir Stanislaus.” Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 12. Toronto: U of Toronto, 1990. Print.

Nickles, Greg. “Here to Stay.” We Came to North America: The Poles. New York: Crabtree, 2001. Print.

Turek, Victor. Sir Casimir Gzowski: A Biographical Sketch. Toronto: Polish Alliance, 1957. Print.