Vancouver / Keefer Street / Strathcona

Strathcona, Vancouver

626 Keefer Street

In the city directories 1905–1955.

In 1905 the directory names John Armstrong, an engineer here. In 1925 it printed only “Chinese” at this door; ten years on it names D Vollstrom. In 1940 the name section gives this address for Mrs Elsie Backs (page 25; joined to the 1940 listing, where the first name or initials agree, inferred).

Reserve this house's book, freeIts history in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. Read for this address so far: 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945. The book reads the other 14 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.

Who lived here

Read every ten years. Each chapter is one surname at this address across the directories, so it can be more than one family; tap a name for its directory page, or follow the name to every address it's printed at. After 1945 the directories' names aren't shown. *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935).

  1. I1905
  2. II1915
  3. III
    “Chinese”printed instead of names
    1925
  4. IV1935
  5. V1940
  6. VI1945
  7. VII
    A householdnames after 1945 withheld
    1955

A ribbon marks the chapters the book adds to: everyone the directory's name section lists at this address that year, with their work, and the page behind every line. See what it holds, or quote this house.

by 1905
first listed in the directories
5
households named, 1905–1945
Rebuilt in 1976
today, by the City's records

The address

Thomas Richardson follows the engineer in 1915. By 1940 the Vollstrom name has gone and Mrs E Backs is listed, with J Wilson at the same number. By 1945 the Backs name has gone and J Wong is listed, the name marked * (some member of the family owns the property, to the best of the directory's knowledge).

Where the directory printed “Chinese”, its canvassers wrote a group label in place of the residents' names; we show what was printed, and the names it never recorded we can't give.

By 1955 the directory lists two households at the number, where J Wong had been in 1945; their names, after 1945, we don't show.

The block around it

The Wong name moves along the block: at 615 in 1940, then here in 1945 (the same family, or another with the same surname: inferred).

In 1925 this was one of five doors on the block where the directory printed “Japanese” or “Chinese” instead of names, between the Richardson and Vollstrom households here.

Since 1955

  1. 1976Today's building goes up, by the City's record.

From City of Vancouver open data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver): the property tax report (BC Assessment's years, approximate for old buildings), business licences from 1997 (the kind of business only), issued building permits from 2017 and the heritage register.

Today

A newer building, dated 1976 by the City, has the address now: the wood-frame building Goad's 1912 map draws here is gone, replaced after the 1955 directory, the last we read. Next door, 630, on the heritage register, still has its building from before 1946, one of five on the block.

The Wong Wing Fong family on Keefer Street
1914 The Wong Wing Fong family on Keefer Street. Not at this house: no archive photo of the 600 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, 2021-034.288, photo by Yucho Chow Studio. Public domain.
The lot at 626 Keefer Street on the 1912 fire insurance map
626 Keefer Street on Goad's 1912 map. The 1912 map draws one wood-frame building on the lot at 626. Goad's Fire Insurance Map, 1912, georectified by the City of Vancouver (Open Government Licence – Vancouver). The circle marks the address.
Keefer StFalse CreekBurrard InletSTRATHCONADOWNTOWNMain StClark DrTerminal AvePowell StClose
626 Keefer Street today: the red dot, on the 600 block of Keefer Street in Strathcona. Beside this: the whole city, with the map above boxed in red. Today's streets, shoreline, parks and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).

The neighbours

The 600 block of Keefer Street, door by door, the way the directory prints it. This house is marked in red; pick a year to read who lived at every door.

Keefer Street, the 600 blockas the 1905 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1915 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1925 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1935 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1940 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1945 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1955 directory lists it, door by door, and what stands there today

*: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935)

North side, odd numbers

  1. 601Creech, Georgenot listednot listednot listednot listednot listednot listedmerged
  2. 611Fulthrop, Alfredvacant“Japanese”*Ikeno K*Ikeno KSplett M*a householdgone
  3. 615Parsons, R.Brown Geo“Chinese”“Orientals”Wong NornDong W Ha householdgone
  4. 625Adams, George R.McClelland John EKirkup S J*Evenuk P*Iwaniuk PTriska H*a householdgone
  5. 627Marsh FrankCrosetti JPalamow A*Kulakowski JSywulych W*a householdgone
  6. 631Hay, RobertHay RobtHay R“Orientals”*Hay R*Anaka J*a householdgone
  7. 635Bradley, JohnVanstone WmBrecknell JBrecknell J*Vanstone Woccupied, no name givena householdgone
  8. 643Monks, Edgar“Foreigners”not listednot listednot listednot listednot listedgone
  9. 647“Foreigners”McDowell SFranceschini CCavasin RCavasin R*a householdgone
  10. 653Tapella JosephTosey JTosi J*Kwong Soo Chow*Chow Mrs J M*a householdgone
  11. 659Hancock, Albert J.Gini C“Chinese”Jackson Mrs EJackson Mrs Eoccupied, no name given*a householdgone
  12. 661Hancock Albt Joccupied, no name givenOiye JOiye JBrubon M*a householdgone
  13. 673Cates, WilliamCates Wm EMookini HWakaluk J*Wakaluk J*Wakaluk J*a householdgone
  14. 677Smith, PeterBarker WmRabinnovitz OKosovic SLee LunSoon Fnot listedgone

South side, even numbers

  1. 602Tom Gregory H.McLean James DCarlson C“Orientals”*Chomyshak JChomyshak J*a householdstands
  2. 612Vicars, Joseph G.Vicars Joseph GJohnson Mrs A*Ellefsen A*Ellefsen EHing Mrs M*a householdstands
  3. 620Clandenning, John A.Fraser Alex +1Clandening J A*Clendenning M A*Bezzasso Mrs P*Bezzasso Mrs P*a householdstands
  4. 626Armstrong, JohnRichardson Thos“Chinese”Vollstrom DBacks Mrs E +1*Wong J*a household +1rebuilt
  5. 630McDougall Mrs Jessie“Chinese”“Orientals”*Mah Ging Mrs Q SLee W H*a householdstands
  6. 636Ang Chinese MissionGood Shepherd MissionGood Shepherd Missionmerged
  7. 642Eaton, JessEaton JesseEaton Jnot listednot listednot listednot listedgone
  8. 652Howie Miss J LWomen's Miss SocWomen's Miss SocWoman's Mission Soc*Wong Mrs J S*a householdrebuilt
  9. 658Inches DavidMorris M*Morris J*Minichiello J*Minichiello J*a householdstands
  10. 666McMeekin, John WalterLewis Mrs —Isaac S“Orientals”Kon Ko Kyo Ch +1Parker Sa householdgone
  11. 674Luxton RReliable Mt MktKeefer Meat MktHeikkila Ma householdgone
  12. 676Harkness JamesSmith Miss G DFarber Mrs E +1Ostoforoff NMorrison Da householdgone
Who stayed on the 600 block: of the addresses with a named household in both directories, how many still had the same surname ten years on. A filled house kept its family.

The record

Each directory's listing for this address, as printed, with its page at the Vancouver Public Library. *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935).

1915

No job on this line: the 1915 directory prints work in its name section, under Richardson (near p. 475).

Henderson's Greater Vancouver City Directory, p. 99

1925
  • “Chinese” printed instead of names

The directory printed “Chinese” here instead of names.

Wrigley-Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, p. 72

1935

No job on this line: the 1935 directory prints work in its name section, under Vollstrom (near p. 186).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 88

1940

No job on this line: the 1940 directory prints work in its name section, under Backs (near p. 24) and Wilson (near p. 663).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 93

1945

No job on this line: the 1945 directory prints work in its name section, under Wong (near p. 714).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 85

1955
  • a household
  • reara household

2 listings. Names of residents after 1945 aren't shown; businesses and buildings are.

Vancouver and New Westminster City Directory, p. 131

Quote this house

One line with its source, for a listing, a talk or a family tree. A link to this page shows the card below wherever it's shared.

626 Keefer Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, is in the city directories from 1905 to 1955. The building there today dates from 1976, by the City's record.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/626-keefer, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 626 Keefer Street

The history of

626Keefer Street

Strathcona, 1905–1955

A PDF to keep, print or give

The book of 626 Keefer Street

What the book adds to this page

This page, free

  • Who the street section lists here, 1905–1945, and the work the 1905 directory prints beside a name
  • The neighbours door by door, one year at a time
  • An archive photo of Keefer Street
  • The lot on the 1912 fire insurance map
  • The building today, and each year's page at the library

The book adds

  • Each resident's work and employer, line by line from the directories' name section, and one person it lists here that the street section leaves out
  • Its five named households as chapters, told in our words
  • The 600 block in all seven directories at once, every door
  • The page behind every line, both sections, listed at the back
  • One book, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give

Its contents

  1. The house
  2. Plate I, Keefer Street in an archive photo1914
  3. IArmstrong, with everyone the name section lists1905
  4. IIRichardson, with everyone the name section lists1915
  5. III“Chinese”1925
  6. IVVollstrom, with everyone the name section lists1935
  7. VBacks, with everyone the name section lists1940
  8. VIWong, with everyone the name section lists1945
  9. After 19451955
  10. The 600 block, decade by decade1905–1955
  11. Plate II, the 1912 fire insurance map1912
  12. The house today
  13. Sources, page by page
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Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, 1905–1955, street sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each year in the record links its page. Today's buildings: City of Vancouver Open Data (property tax report 2026, property addresses, Vancouver Heritage Register; Open Government Licence – Vancouver). The City's year built is BC Assessment's figure and can be approximate for old houses. Building permits: Heritage Vancouver Society's transcription of the City's permit registers, 1901–1930, gives none we can tie to 626 Keefer Street; its database may have one under another number. The photo of Keefer Street: City of Vancouver Archives, public domain, credited under it. Filed under this address at the City of Vancouver Archives: [626 Keefer Street], Mar. 1974 (CVA 1095-02503; photo, under copyright: view at the Archives). Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.