Vancouver / Names / C / Cohen

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Cohens

In the city directories 1940 · 16 people at twelve addresses

The directories print 16 people named Cohen at twelve addresses in 1940 in seven 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 Cohens 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

    1818 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Joseph Cohen, an insurance agent 1940

    Next door in 1940: H R Bennett at 1832. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1844 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • George Cohen, a salesman at Singer Sewing Machinery 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss F L De Voe at 1836 and D Kinneard at 1860. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    319 East 18th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • L Cohen, proprietor of Edmonton Furniture 1940

    Next door in 1940: W G McCullough at 315 and H J Uhl at 325. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1496 East Pender Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J Cohen, of Alberta Furniture 1940
    • Bessie Cohen, a saleswoman 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Katnich at 1486. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    610 Jervis Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Cohen (no first name printed) 1940
    • Cohen (no first name printed) 1940

    Next door in 1940: W G Brown at 626. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3496 Kingsway

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • M B Cohen, proprietor of Carleton Auto Court 1940
    • Theo Cohen 1940

    Next door in 1940: H M Fullerton at 3490. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1058 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • M Cohen, a manufacturers agent 1940

    Next door in 1940: Star Garage at 1042 and L E Collum at 1070. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2938 West 14th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • D Cohen, of Alberta Furniture 1940

    Next door in 1940: H N Trueman at 2928 and F Thompson at 2954. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    122 West 5th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs M Cohen 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Hoshosky at 124. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    56 West Cordova Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • L Cohen, a manager at Atlantic Tailors 1940
    • Mrs Rose Cohen, proprietor of Atlantic Tailors 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Sudman at 54 and Mrs A F Peterson at 58. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    1301 West Georgia Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Cohen 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Johnson at 1315. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    914 West Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Louis Cohen, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Kookery Home at 912 and Touche G A & Co at 916. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eight of the 16: a proprietor (3), an insurance agent, a manager, a manufacturers agent, a salesman and a saleswoman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (4), West End (3), Grandview-Woodland, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Renfrew-Collingwood 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Joseph Cohen at 1818 Barclay Street, an insurance agent. The 1940 name section lists George Cohen at 1844 Comox Street, a salesman at Singer Sewing Machinery. In 1940 the directory lists L Cohen at 319 East 18th 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 Louis Cohen there as the householder, proprietor of Edmonton Furniture.

In 1940 the directory lists J Cohen at 1496 East Pender Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Joseph Cohen there as the householder, of Alberta Furniture, with Bessie Cohen, a saleswoman. In 1940 the directory lists Cohen (no first name printed) at 610 Jervis Street. The 1940 name section lists Cohen (no first name printed) there as the householder.

In 1940 the directory lists M B Cohen at 3496 Kingsway; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Maurice B Cohen there as the householder, proprietor of Carleton Auto Court, with Theo Cohen. In 1940 the directory lists M Cohen at 1058 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Moe Cohen there as the householder, a manufacturers agent.

In 1940 the directory lists D Cohen at 2938 West 14th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists David Cohen there as the householder, of Alberta Furniture. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M Cohen at 122 West 5th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Malle Cohen there as the householder.

In 1940 the directory lists L Cohen at 56 West Cordova Street. The 1940 name section lists Louis Cohen there as the householder, a manager at Atlantic Tailors, with Mrs Rose Cohen, proprietor of Atlantic Tailors. The 1940 name section lists Cohen at 1301 West Georgia Street. The 1940 name section lists Louis Cohen at 914 West Pender Street, retired.

Today

319 East 18th, 610 Jervis, 1058 Nelson and 2938 West 14th still have their buildings from before 1946, 610 Jervis and 1058 Nelson on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 56 West Cordova (1955) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1818 Barclay, 1844 Comox, 1496 East Pender, 3496 Kingsway, 122 West 5th, 1301 West Georgia and 914 West Pender, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Riders in costume in a Chinese parade on East Pender Street, past the Kwong Yee Lung Co.
1936–1938 Riders in costume in a Chinese parade on East Pender Street, past the Kwong Yee Lung Co.. Not at the house at 1496 East Pender: no archive photo of the 1400 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 300-101. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 23 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Cohens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Cohen 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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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 C. Want a name removed? Tell us.