Vancouver / Keefer Street / Strathcona

Strathcona, Vancouver

753 Keefer Street

In the city directories 1905–1955.

In 1905 the directory names John Mason, in real estate here. In 1935 it printed only “Orientals” at this door; ten years on it names Joe Gee. In 1940 the name section gives this address for Joe Gee, a tailor (page 219; 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.

  1. I1905
  2. II1915
  3. III1925
  4. IV
    “Orientals”printed instead of names
    1935
  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.

1900
built, by the City's record
5
households named, 1905–1945
Still standing
today, by the City's records
Same number
as today (inferred)

The house

The City's record dates the house to 1900. Then a new name in each directory: Ernest A Erickson in 1915 and W Stephen in 1925. By 1945 the Gee name has gone and E Ruoho is listed.

Where the directory printed “Orientals”, 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.

The block around it

In 1935 this was one of seven doors on the block where the directory printed “Orientals” instead of names, between the Stephen and Gee households here.

Since 1955

  1. TodayProtected by the City's municipal designation.

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

753 Keefer Street still has a building from before 1946, as does 751 next door; the City's record dates it to 1900, before the 1912 map was drawn, so it is very likely the wood-frame building Goad's 1912 map draws on the lot (inferred). We matched it to today's building by name: the heritage register calls it “Mason’s Duplex”, the name the directory printed here in 1905.

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 700 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, 2021-034.288, photo by Yucho Chow Studio. Public domain.
The lot at 753 Keefer Street on the 1912 fire insurance map
753 Keefer Street on Goad's 1912 map. The 1912 map draws one wood-frame building on the lot at 753. 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
753 Keefer Street is on the 700 block of Keefer Street, in red, 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 700 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 700 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. 711Allardyce, Thomas“Chinese”Nakatsukai KNakatsuka IAvenue Dye Wks +1Wilson Ra householdstands
  2. 715Archer, —Deakoff JohnWalters Mrs EWalter B*Walters B*Walters B*a householdstands
  3. 721Fowler, C. M.Tomo FrankBuckshon J*Tiilikana T*Tiilikana T*Tiilikana Ta householdstands
  4. 727“Cabins”“Cabins”“Cabins”“Cabins”*“Cabins”*“Cabins”stands
  5. 733False Creek GroceryB C Distribs Co +1“Orientals”Can Nichiren Buddhist Ch +1Creer C H*a householdstands
  6. 737Caldwell, J. A.Caldwell John AvacantByman O*Oja AJohnson Mrs Ea householdrebuilt
  7. 743Doig, William“Chinese”“Japanese”Okimura MOkimura MNiemi P Ja householdstands
  8. 747Elsom, Albertvacantnot listedWoo Mrs LWoo Mrs L*Osterback Aa householdstands
  9. 751Lasbury, Georgevacant“Japanese”Lee C TMoy Soccupied, no name givena householdstands
  10. 753Mason, JohnErickson Ernest AStephen W“Orientals”Gee JoeRuoho Ea householdstands
  11. 765Toso Mrs Cnot listedGentile Miss Cnot listedrebuilt
  12. 767vacantvacant +1vacant*Yugoslav Educational Home +3rebuilt
  13. 783Drost, John T.Pursell Joseph ELind AOja Mrs E*Sudar JLee Gvacantrebuilt
  14. 791Harding T WSpreckley Mrs E*Zablosky Mrs MFrost Ja householdstands
  15. 795Kirby, GeorgeBurthe Mrs —Condren HEast End RealtyNelsen & Conot listeda householdstands
  16. 797Olin Otto +4Apartments +6Kirby Block apts +8Kirby Block +7*Kirby Block +9Kirby Blk apts +6gone
  17. 799Smith Geo HChong Yew CoBevilacqua LLee Chong TaiKeefer GroKeefer Gro +1gone

South side, even numbers

  1. 702Cobeldeck, JohnGogowris BHary GLoxton JNeighborhood StoreLane HHenry's Grogone
  2. 708MacLean, James T.Hoskins Mrs GracePavlukoff J“Orientals”*Baltman B*Baltman Ba householdgone
  3. 710Rowley, Joseph P.vacantBrekson S*Linn C*Linn C*Anderson Aa householdmerged
  4. 722Summerville, WilliamRalph DanlTerho A*Terho A*Veralainen Mrs E S*Luhtala C*a householdgone
  5. 726Griffiths, DellCarroll Mrs EmmavacantRubich M*Butorac M*Jang Ha householdgone
  6. 730Gibbons, J. W.vacant“Chinese”“Orientals”Lee W HEng W*a householdgone
  7. 734Fraser, Simon P.Victoria Dye Works +10Eagle Apts +6Eagle Apts +4Eagle Apts +14Eagle Apts +13Eagle Apts +12gone
  8. 742Monk, Frank“Foreigners”“Chinese”“Orientals”Isoshima SJeskay R*a householdgone
  9. 746Carnie, EbenezerAnsell Edwin GMcClatchey WBesnick ABesnick ABesnick A B*a householdgone
  10. 750Constantine, CharlesLeslie ThosOlsen AHiggins DNicol HNichol Hvacantgone
  11. 752“Cabins”not listed“Orientals”Miharija JGreening Kena householdgone
  12. 770Gibbs, Walternot listedoccupied, no name given“Orientals”*Manestar J*Liega Ba householdgone
  13. 778Yarco, August“Foreigners”Hite H*Augustino FAugustino Mrs MAugustine Mrs M*a householdgone
  14. 784Reid, Herbert E.Hewson Wmoccupied, no name given*Carvetta R*Zajac A*Zajac A*a household +1gone
  15. 792Rahy Richd NRahy R*Rahy R*Rahy Mrs EHarding J Sa householdgone
  16. 796Harris, WilliamGaston JohnNordin A*Zitko J*Zitko J*Zitko J*a householdgone
Who stayed on the 700 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 Erickson (near p. 173).

Henderson's Greater Vancouver City Directory, p. 98

1925

No job on this line: the 1925 directory prints work in its name section, under Stephen (near p. 190).

Wrigley-Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, p. 71

1935
  • “Orientals” printed instead of names

The directory printed “Orientals” here instead of names.

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 88

1940

No job on this line: the 1940 directory prints work in its name section, under Gee (near p. 217).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 94

1945

No job on this line: the 1945 directory prints work in its name section, under Ruoho (near p. 569).

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, p. 85

1955
  • a household

One listing. 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.

753 Keefer Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, is in the city directories from 1905 to 1955. A building from before 1946 still stands there: the City's record gives 1900 as the year built.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/753-keefer, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 753 Keefer Street

The history of

753Keefer Street

Strathcona, 1905–1955

A PDF to keep, print or give

The book of 753 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 700 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. IMason, with everyone the name section lists1905
  4. IIErickson, with everyone the name section lists1915
  5. IIIStephen, with everyone the name section lists1925
  6. IV“Orientals”1935
  7. VGee, with everyone the name section lists1940
  8. VIRuoho, with everyone the name section lists1945
  9. After 19451955
  10. The 700 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 753 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: [751-753 Keefer Street], Mar. 1974 (CVA 1095-02482; photo, under copyright: view at the Archives); 753 Keefer Street, [1985?] (CVA 790-0788; photo, under copyright: view at the Archives); 753, 747, 749 Keefer Street, [1985?] (CVA 790-0789; photo, under copyright: view at the Archives). Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.