Vancouver / Names / A / Abrams

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Abramses

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at six addresses

The directories print eight people named Abrams at six addresses in 1940 in five of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Abramses lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    894 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Z Abrams, a president at Z Abrams Ltd 1940
    • Claudia C Abrams, a musician for Miss M Abrams 1940

    Next door in 1940: G A DockSteader at 884. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2274 East 8th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mary Abrams, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: W W Young at 2252 and J J Cleal at 2282. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2376 West 15th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • S H Abrams, a branch manager at the Bank of Toronto 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Wilson at 2366. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3687 West 7th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs M A Abrams, widow of J 1940
    • John W Abrams, a sawyer at Burke Lumber 1940

    Next door in 1940: P Cook at 3669 and A Calder at 3695. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    925 West Georgia Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • G W Abrams, a dentist 1940

    Next door in 1940: Lunch Sandwich at 915 and Macdonald's Prescriptions at 929. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1040 West Georgia Street

    West End, 1940

    • G W Abrams, a dentist 1940

    Next door in 1940: McDermott Motors Ltd at 1018 and Begg Motor Co Ltd (used cars) at 1056. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the eight: a branch manager, a dentist, a musician, a president and a sawyer. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), Downtown, Grandview-Woodland, Mount Pleasant and West End. Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

In 1940 the directory lists Z Abrams at 894 East 12th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Zeke Abrams there as the householder, a president at Z Abrams Ltd, with Claudia C Abrams, a musician for Miss M Abrams. The 1940 name section lists Mary Abrams at 2274 East 8th Avenue, widow of J.

S H Abrams is listed at 2376 West 15th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Sid H Abrams there as the householder, a branch manager at the Bank of Toronto. Mrs M A Abrams is listed at 3687 West 7th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Mary A Abrams there as the householder, widow of J, with John W Abrams, a sawyer at Burke Lumber.

G W Abrams, a dentist, is listed at 925 West Georgia Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists G W Abrams at 1040 West Georgia Street. The 1940 name section lists George W Abrams there as the householder, a dentist.

Today

2376 West 15th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1930 by the City's record; 2274 East 8th (2010) and 1040 West Georgia (1985) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 894 East 12th, 3687 West 7th and 925 West Georgia, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 12 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Abramses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Abrams name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

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Another name, or a house

Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under A. Want a name removed? Tell us.