Person Record

Metadata

Name

McDowall, Robert

Othernames

Sometimes mis-spelt as "McDowell"
Also known as "Bob"

Born

June 8, 1864

Birthplace

Ontario

Places of residence

500 West St., Owen Sound (known as 635 2nd Ave. West after 1909)
375 7th St. West, Owen Sound (c. 1917)
Retired to Toronto, Ontario in 1941, lived at 22 Tichester Road

Titles & honors

A. M., C.E., Ontario Land Surveyor (O.L.S.)

Father

Rev. McDowall

Nationality

Canadian

Education

-Chatsworth Public School
-Owen Sound Collegiate Institute (O.S.C.I.)
-a Normal School (for teacher's training)
-University of Toronto (CE degree in 1901)

Notes

Robert McDowall's father was a Presbyterian minister, who is buried at Storey's Cemetery. McDowall's mother re-married, to his father's friend, Rev. James Cameron, a minister at Chatsworth, and McDowall grew up at the manse there. After attending a Normal School for teacher's training, he went to the University of Toronto and received his engineering degrees there (he also played on the U of T football team).

A December, 1893 advertisement in an Owen Sound paper has "R. McDowall, A.M., C.E., Ontario Land Surveyor, Engineer for Town of Owen Sound and the Townships of Sydenham, Derby, Sullivan, and Saugeen. Office over the Bank of Hamilton."

In the 1902-1904 Vernon's Directory of Owen Sound, his name is mis-spelt as "McDowal" and he is listed as a Civil Engineer at 9 Poulett St. He is not listed in the 1892 Rutherford's Directory of Owen Sound.

In the 1913 Malone's Directory of Owen Sound, R. C. McDowall, engineer, is listed at 635 2nd Ave. West.

Robert McDowall had an advertisement circa 1893 that read as follows: "R. McDowall, A.M., C.E. Ontario Land Surveyor, Engineer for Town of Owen Sound and the Townships of Sydenham, Derby, Sullivan and Saugeen. Office over the Bank of Hamilton." Circa 1904, a directory lists his Ontario Land Surveyor office at Poulett St. (main street).

Mr. McDowall, Civil Engineer, was involved when the Owen Sound street names were changed to a numerical system (1909) and was the engineer when Owen Sound's electricity and water plants were established.

Robert McDowall lived at 500 West Street, Owen Sound.

In the summer of 1893, the Owen Sound "Crescent Club", which Robert McDowall was a member of, hosted an important race event, which attracted bicycle racers from across the province. Mr. McDowall participated in this Aug. 23-24 race event.

He surveyed a lot of Grey County, Ontario.

In the 1901 Census of Owen Sound, his birthdate was provided as June 8, 1864. This is also on a 1941 war-time registration form at the Grey County archives.

Robert McDowall was an early "city engineer". He was involved when the Owen Sound street names were changed to a numerical system, and was the engineer when Owen Sound's electricity and water plants were established.

His claim to fame, however, was his interesting aircraft, the McDowall Monoplane. Prior to the First World War (1910-1914), Mr. McDowall was interested in the idea of flight and designed an aircraft. Mrs. McDowall was not amused that he used some of her linen for covering the wings. The craft was built at Owen Sound in the Wm. Ferguson carriageworks building. It was "test flown" in the country, likely at the Riddell farm, in the Annan area Sydenham Township., but it didn't actually fly, just sort of hopped. There is some info about this plane mentioned in the Glenelg Twp. history book as well (see p. 204). Mr. McDowall, perhaps discouraged after unsuccessful flights, sold the monoplane to Edward Pratt in 1919. Mr. Pratt altered it with skiis and used it as a vehicle to pull skiers with. The monoplane was later purchased by the National Aviation Museum, and put on display:

"Owen Sound also takes its place in Canada's National Aviation Museum where visitors will find the oldest surviving Canadian-built aircraft, the McDowall Monoplane. In the spring of 1910, Robert McDowall, a civil engineer and land surveyor in Owen Sound, fell in love with heavier-than-air flying machines. After buying an Anzani engine in New York, he designed an aircraft to suit it.

A shoulder-wing monoplane, often mistaken for a Bleriot, it was taken to a farm in Sydenham Township not far from the site of today's Billy Bishop Airport. McDowall made several unsuccessful attempts to fly it, ending up with a few hops of unknown length. Turned into an ice scooter and used on a lake near Durham, the McDowall Monoplane hung in a Goderich barn until 1967, when this historic aircraft was rescued and sent to Ottawa.

Restored to its original condition as constructed by Robert McDowall, it is one of the first airplanes to greet you as you enter the National Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe." [Armitage, "Flights of Fancy", 2008]

The second owner, Edward J. Pratt of Glenelg Township, had been a student at Owen Sound's Northern Business College when he purchased the monoplane from Mr. McDowall in 1919. Mr. Pratt died in 1976, age 91. He had worked on the plane somewhat after he acquired it. He said that the monoplane was built between 1912-1914.

The monoplane had a 25 H.P. Anzani engine, that cost McDowall $5,500. He bought it in the United States. The monoplane was built at the old Ferguson carriage house (blacksmith shop) along 8th St. East. The monoplane was exhibited on September 24, 1915 at the Owen Sound annual fair.

Another one of Mr. McDowall's interests must have been the military. He served as a Colour Sergeant with No. 5 company of the 31st Grey Battalion. His grandfather? had been in the British military and posted at Bermuda in the 19th-century.

His grandson, and namesake, Robert McDowall, says that Mr. McDowall travelled around the world in the 1920s, and also enjoyed playing poker at a round oak table at his residence at 375 7th St. West, Owen Sound (this was before the family moved to Toronto in 1941). He had built the 375 7th St. West house.

Mr. McDowall's son, James R. McDowall, wrote the following obituary, which was published in the ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO LAND SURVEYORS, 1943:
"Robert McDowall, C.E., was born on June 8, 1864, was educated at Chatsworth Public School and Owen Sound Collegiate Institute and entered the School of Practical Sciene, Toronto, as a student in Civil Engineering in 1885. He previously taught in a Public School from 1883 to 1885. He graduated in April, 1888, and for a year was employed as an engineer by the contractor for the construction of piers, and abutments of the bridges for the Canadian Pacific Railway entrance to Toronto down the Don River Valley. In 1889 he entered upon private practice as a Civil Engineer, in Owen Sound, putting in time under A. L. McCullough, Provincial Land Surveyor, for one year, and receiving his commission as a Provincial Land Surveyor on November 11, 1890.
During the period from 1890 to 1938, Mr. McDowall acted as Engineer for Owen Sound, Collingwood, Meaford, Wiarton, Chesley, the Counties of Grey and Bruce and many villages and townships. His engineering work included sewers, waterworks, bridges, pavements, grading, harbour work, dams, tunnels, and many minor works. Surveying activities embraced railways, subdivisions in cities, towns and waterfronts, mining claims in Rainy River and many other assignments.
Mr. McDowalll received his professional degree of C.E. from the University of Toronto in 1901. He was enrolled as a student member of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (now the Engineering Institute of Canada) one month after its inception in 1887, becoming an associate member in 1892. Later he was made a Life Member.
In 1904, he married Mary Agnes Riddell of Owen Sound. On his retirement in October, 1941, they came to live in Toronto at 22 Tichester Road.
On March 29th, 1942, Mr. McDowalll died in Toronto after a brief illness. He is survived by his widow and one son, James Riddell McDowall. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound."

Archival Items:
-1997.018.001 Reproduction photograph of Robert McDowall and G. Webster Butchart posed with the aircraft they built in Wm. Ferguson's shop at Owen Sound
-1997.040.001 Owen Sound W.I. Tweedsmuir book has a newspaper clipping re McDowall's plane
-The 1907 (revised to 1911) fire insurance map book shows the layout of the William Ferguson blacksmith/carriagmaking shop along Union Street.

Occupation

Schoolteacher
Provincial Land Surveyor (Ontario Land Surveyor) 1890+
Bicycle Racer
Civil Engineer
Airplane builder (created the McDowall Monoplane)
Colour Sergeant (No. 5 company), 31st Grey Battalion

Publications

https://ingeniumcanada.org/ingenium/collection-research/collection-item.php?id=1967.0673.001
-Armitage, Andrew, "A Bicycle Made for Racing in Owen Sound", THE SUN TIMES, Friday Sept. 7, 2007 A5 mentions McDowall's participation in the 1893 bicycle race in Owen Sound.
-Armitage, Andrew, "Flights of Fancy", THE SUN TIMES, Friday, July 18, 2008, page A5
-Croft, Melba, A PORT OF SOME IMPORTANCE, p. 102 has portrait image of Robert McDowall and also shows Wm. Ferguson's shop interior (where the plane was built). Page 147 has an image of the McDowall plane, including "Web" Butchart and a large group of people at the Riddell farm, watching the plane's test flight.
-Croft, Melba, FOURTH ENTRANCE TO HURONIA, p. 321 has images of the monoplane and mentions Ed Pratt
-Croft, Melba, MEMORIES OF BROOKE, p. 335 and 336

OWEN SOUND TIMES, Dec.21, 1893 has an advertisement for Robert McDowall
The Glenelg Twp. history book p. 204 has some info re the McDowall aircraft in it (re Edward J. Pratt).