Vancouver / Names / A / Alston

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Alstons

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at six addresses

The directories print nine people named Alston at six 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. The most under one roof: three Alstons at 5812 Beatrice in 1940.

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 Alstons 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

    5812 Beatrice Street

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • E D Alston, a laborer 1940
    • Herbert Alston, a helper at Hammonds 1940
    • Wendell E Alston, a meat cutter 1940

    Next door in 1940: J B Horner at 5806 and J Pickard at 5870. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1963 Creelman Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • L M Alston, an orderly at the St Pauls Hospital 1940

    Next door in 1940: J E Scutnabb at 1961 and L Benson at 1969. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    5842 McKinnon Street

    Killarney, 1940

    • W C Alston, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Sanderson at 5866. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2197 West 2nd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Margaret Alston, a clerk 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Seaborn at 2189. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2019 West 37th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Mrs J S Alston, widow of C F 1940
    • Phyllis B Alston, a nurse 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs G Hume at 2011 and G C Hay at 2025. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1930 Yew Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H S Alston, a blacksmith at Guernsey Breeders Dairy 1940

    Next door in 1940: P H Dawson at 1920 and C C Davidson at 1940. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the nine: a blacksmith, a clerk, a helper, a laborer, a meat cutter and a nurse, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (3), Killarney, Shaughnessy and Victoria-Fraserview. 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 E D Alston at 5812 Beatrice Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Emery D Alston there as the householder, a laborer, with Herbert Alston, a helper at Hammonds, and Wendell E Alston, a meat cutter. In 1940 the directory lists L M Alston at 1963 Creelman Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Lewis M Alston there as the householder, an orderly at the St Pauls Hospital.

In 1940 the directory lists W C Alston at 5842 McKinnon Street; 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 William C Alston there as the householder, a salesman. The 1940 name section lists Margaret Alston at 2197 West 2nd Avenue, a clerk.

Mrs J S Alston is listed at 2019 West 37th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Jane S Alston there as the householder, widow of C F, with Phyllis B Alston, a nurse. H S Alston is listed at 1930 Yew Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Hugh S Alston there as the householder, a blacksmith at Guernsey Breeders Dairy.

Today

5812 Beatrice (1978), 5842 McKinnon (1988), 2197 West 2nd (1989) and 2019 West 37th (1989) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1963 Creelman and 1930 Yew, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 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 Alstons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Alston 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.