West End, Vancouver

851 Bidwell Street

In the 1940 city directory.

In 1940, 851 Bidwell Street is Macdonald Apartments, with 14 suites and households listed under it. Its name section lists 20 people here: Clif W Bell, a salesman at Willards Chocolate; William Brennan, proprietor of Rogers Building Barber Shop; and 18 others. It lists one more person here under another surname too.

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: 1940. The book reads the other 19 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.

21
people the 1940 directory lists here, one of them named in the book
Still standing
today, by the City's records
1930
the year built, by the City's record

In 1940

The street section

  • 15 linesMacdonald Apartments and its suites and households, each on the page beside

The household

  • Clif W Bella salesman at Willards Chocolate · householder · suite 24p. 40
  • William Brennanproprietor of Rogers Building Barber Shop · householder · suite 12p. 64
  • H Murray Camerona grain broker · householder · suite 16p. 88
  • Mary V Crosswidow of J W · householder · suite 14p. 140
  • Ellen J Emmonswidow of W E · householder · suite 22p. 183
  • Harry Friedmana salesman · householder · suite 25p. 211
  • Charles T Hendrena salesman at Hub · householder · suite 15p. 267
  • Mary A Hepburnwidow of R R · householder · suite 10p. 268
  • William J Incea department manager at Woodward's · householder · suite 17p. 294
  • H Johnstonhouseholder · suite 21p. 308
  • William S Kerra caretaker at the Macdonald Apartments · householder · suite 1p. 321
  • George M Phillipsin provincial registrar of voters at the BC Government · householder · suite 11p. 493
  • James V Smitha salesman · householder · suite 33p. 571
  • Harold A Speirsa salesman at Empire Box · householder · suite 26p. 578

Also under the Cross name

  • Vera Crossof Brooks-Cross Letter Service · lives here · suite 14p. 140
  • Frank T Hendrena salesman at Charlton & Morgan · lives here · suite 15p. 267
  • Lisle A Hendrena shipper at Mackay Smith Blair · lives here · suite 15p. 267
  • Eva C Hepburna clerk at C Government · lives here · suite 10p. 268
  • Montague W Phillipsa clerk at the Liquor Control Board · lives here · suite 11p. 493
  • Blanche Smithlives here · suite 24p. 568

Also at this address

  • One more personunder another surname, with their work: in the book

Bidwell Street is read from the 1940 directory, street section and name section, line by line.

The lines for 851 Bidwell Street in the 1940 directory, as we read them, with its abbreviations; each opens its page at the Vancouver Public Library. The name section prints h for a householder and r for someone who lives at the address.

The building today

851 Bidwell Street still has a building from before 1946, the only one left on the 800 block of Bidwell Street; the City dates it to 1930, after the 1912 map, so it may have replaced the wood-frame building drawn there (inferred).

Since 1940

  1. 1997–2024Licensed as an apartment house (licences on record start in 1997).

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.

The 800 block of Bidwell Street on Goad's 1912 fire insurance map, with 851 marked
The 800 block of Bidwell Street, between Robson and Haro Streets, on Goad's fire insurance map of 1912; the map may print the street under an older name. The ring marks 851, placed from the City's address point today (inferred). The 1912 map draws one wood-frame building on the lot at 851. Georectified by the City of Vancouver (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).

The 800 block in 1940

Bidwell Street between Robson and Haro Streets, West End: every door the 1940 directory lists on the block, the way it prints them, and what stands at each today. This house is marked in red.

Bidwell Street, the 800 blockas the 1940 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)

Bidwell Street, block by block

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.

851 Bidwell Street, West End, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. A building from before 1946 still stands there: the City's record gives 1930 as the year built.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/851-bidwell, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 851 Bidwell Street

The book of 851 Bidwell Street

Every directory, as one book

The book reads this address in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: who lived here year by year, their work from the name sections, with the one person here in 1940 under another surname whom this page doesn't name, the block around it, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

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The City Archives search records for $25 a year searched. A hired house historian charges $300 to $550 or more.

Sources

The 1940 city directory (British Columbia and Yukon Directory), street and name sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each line above 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. The 1912 plate: Goad's Fire Insurance Map, georectified by the City of Vancouver. Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.