Vancouver / Names / A / Acton

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Actons

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Acton 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 Actons lived

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

    106 East 6th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs M J Acton, a widow 1940
    • Leo Acton, a coal, wood, sawdust 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M A Featherstone at 112. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    3755 Fraser Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • R L Acton, a cleaner 1940
  3. 3

    3859 Lanark Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J Acton, a druggist at Cunningham Drug 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Owen at 3841. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3938 Main Street

    Riley Park, 1940

    • L Acton, a fuel dealer 1940

    Next door in 1940: engadine apts at 3936 and Main Lbr & Supp at 3980. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    58 West 59th Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • W E Acton, a branch manager at Cunningham Drug 1940

    Next door in 1940: R J Johnston at 46 and W J D Alton at 76. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3025 West 5th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H R Acton, an accountant 1940

    Next door in 1940: G W Dryden at 3035. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the seven: an accountant, a branch manager, a cleaner and a druggist. Two of them worked for Cunningham Drug. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Kitsilano, Marpole, Mount Pleasant and Riley Park. 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 Mrs M J Acton at 106 East 6th 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 Mary J Acton there as the householder, a widow, with Leo Acton, a coal, wood, sawdust. In 1940 the directory lists R L Acton at 3755 Fraser Street. The 1940 name section lists Russell L Acton there as the householder, a cleaner.

In 1940 the directory lists J Acton at 3859 Lanark Street. The 1940 name section lists Joseph Acton there as the householder, a druggist at Cunningham Drug. In 1940 the directory lists L Acton, a fuel dealer, at 3938 Main Street.

W E Acton is listed at 58 West 59th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William E Acton there as the householder, a branch manager at Cunningham Drug. H R Acton is listed at 3025 West 5th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Henry R Acton there as the householder, an accountant.

Today

3859 Lanark, 58 West 59th and 3025 West 5th still have their buildings from before 1946; 106 East 6th (1970) and 3755 Fraser (1992) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3938 Main, so that building is 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 Actons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Acton 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.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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.