Vancouver / Names / A / Alexander / Granville Street

A family name on Granville Street, Downtown, Fairview, Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale, Oakridge and Marpole

The Alexanders

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at five addresses

The directories print seven people named Alexander at five addresses in 1940, all on Granville Street. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 75 other streets too, all listed on the Alexander name's own page.

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 Alexanders 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

    474 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • A J Alexander, an optometrist 1940

    Next door in 1940: united cigar stores at 470 and J B McLeod at 476. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    635 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Arthur Alexander, a chauffeur at D McLure's Taxi 1940

    Next door in 1940: Chapman E Ltd at 633 and Tip Top Tailors at 637. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1336 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • David A Alexander, a machinist at National Machinery 1940

    Next door in 1940: Cecil Cafe at 1326 and Independent Motors at 1344. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2635 Granville Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • J M Alexander, of Columbia Printing 1940
    • Mrs Mabel F Alexander, of Adele Beauty Salon 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Sickelmore at 2633 and Richfield Dairy Lunch at 2675. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    5462 Granville Street

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • A Alexander, of Tiffin & Alexander 1940
    • Eunice B Alexander, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: H W Frith at 5488. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the seven: a chauffeur and a machinist.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (3), Fairview and Shaughnessy. 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 A J Alexander, an optometrist, at 474 Granville Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Arthur Alexander at 635 Granville Street, a chauffeur at D McLure's Taxi. The 1940 name section lists David A Alexander at 1336 Granville Street, a machinist at National Machinery.

J M Alexander is listed at 2635 Granville Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists John M Alexander there as the householder, of Columbia Printing, with Mrs Mabel F Alexander, of Adele Beauty Salon. A Alexander is listed at 5462 Granville Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Arthur Alexander there as the householder, of Tiffin & Alexander, with Eunice B Alexander, a student.

Today

5462 Granville still has its building from before 1946, dated 1938 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 474 Granville, 635 Granville, 1336 Granville and 2635 Granville, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Riders in uniform lead a parade along Granville Street, past crowds on the sidewalk
1917 Riders in uniform lead a parade along Granville Street, past crowds on the sidewalk. Not at the house at 2635 Granville: no archive photo of the 2600 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-350. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Alexanders

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Alexander 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.