Vancouver / Names / B / Boston

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Bostons

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at six addresses

The directories print eight people named Boston at six addresses in 1940 in three 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 Bostons at 1901 Pendrell 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 Bostons 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

    1901 Pendrell Street

    West End, 1940

    • Miss M I Boston 1940
    • Mary I Boston, an assistant for A H L Campbell 1940
    • Peggy Boston, a stenographer at the Canadian Australasian Line 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Hopkins at 1915. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1741 West 3rd Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • W J Boston, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: E J Marty at 1733 and Y Kobori at 1747. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1763 West 3rd Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • G P Boston, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Tsuji at 1755 and J Robinson at 1767. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2345 West 3rd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs Peggy C Boiston, a stenographer at Canadian Red Cross 1940

    Next door in 1940: J C Swartz at 2335 and A W Haggart at 2355. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1598 West 6th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Boston (no first name printed) 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A McKenzie at 1584. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1623 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • G Boston, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Crawford at 1617 and D McPhail at 1625. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the eight: a stenographer (2), an assistant, a conductor, a laborer and a motorman. Two of them worked for BC Electric Railway.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (4), 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 Miss M I Boston at 1901 Pendrell Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mary I Boston there as the householder, an assistant for A H L Campbell, with Peggy Boston, a stenographer at the Canadian Australasian Line. In 1940 the directory lists W J Boston at 1741 West 3rd Avenue. The 1940 name section lists William J Boston there as the householder, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway.

In 1940 the directory lists G P Boston at 1763 West 3rd 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 George P Boston there as the householder, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Peggy C Boiston at 2345 West 3rd Avenue, a stenographer at Canadian Red Cross. The 1940 name section lists Boston (no first name printed) at 1598 West 6th Avenue.

In 1940 the directory lists G Boston at 1623 West Broadway. The 1940 name section lists George Boston there as the householder, a laborer.

Today

The City no longer lists 1901 Pendrell, 1741 West 3rd, 1763 West 3rd, 2345 West 3rd, 1598 West 6th and 1623 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 11 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 Bostons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Boston 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 B. Want a name removed? Tell us.