Vancouver / Names / A / Aiken

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Aikens

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Aiken at four addresses in 1940 in four 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 Aikens lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    748 Gilford Street

    West End, 1940

    • R L Aiken, a longshoreman 1940

    Next door in 1940: G W Pedlar at 746 and lagoon lodge at 778. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2250 West 14th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • W A Aiken, an engineer at Canada Roof Products 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Watson at 2248 and R P Watson at 2256. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3970 West 17th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • A B Aiken, a manager at Easy Washing Machinery Co 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Deans at 3958 and J W Peacock at 3974. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2379 West 41st Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • C D Aiken, a needlework 1940

    Next door in 1940: Handycrafts Mexican at 2375 and R D Millar at 2383. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all four: an engineer, a longshoreman, a manager and a needlework.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Arbutus Ridge, Dunbar-Southlands, Kitsilano 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 R L Aiken at 748 Gilford Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Richard L Aiken there as the householder, a longshoreman. In 1940 the directory lists W A Aiken at 2250 West 14th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists William A Aiken there as the householder, an engineer at Canada Roof Products.

In 1940 the directory lists A B Aiken at 3970 West 17th 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 lists Alan B Aiken there as the householder, a manager at Easy Washing Machinery Co. In 1940 the directory lists C D Aiken, a needlework, at 2379 West 41st Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Charles D Aiken there, a needlework.

Today

3970 West 17th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1925 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 748 Gilford, 2250 West 14th and 2379 West 41st, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Aikens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Aiken 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.