Vancouver / Names / C / Comer

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Comers

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Comer 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 Comers 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

    550 Beatty Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • W S Comer, a manufacturers agent 1940

    Next door in 1940: Crane Ltd at 540 and B M Bremner at 554. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1944 East 1st Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • A J Comer 1940

    Next door in 1940: W J Middleton at 1940 and A MacDonald at 1950. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    504 East Hastings Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mrs M Comer 1940

    Next door in 1940: West Coast Trading at 502 and R Hoshino at 508. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3737 West 30th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • W S Comer, a manufacturers agent 1940

    Next door in 1940: A M Baird at 3727 and G A Hayward at 3749. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for one of the four: a manufacturers agent.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Dunbar-Southlands, Grandview-Woodland and Strathcona. 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 W S Comer, a manufacturers agent, at 550 Beatty Street. A J Comer is listed at 1944 East 1st Avenue in 1940; 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Alfred J Comer there as the householder. Mrs M Comer is listed at 504 East Hastings Street in 1940.

In 1940 the directory lists W S Comer at 3737 West 30th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists William S Comer there as the householder, a manufacturers agent.

Today

1944 East 1st, 504 East Hastings and 3737 West 30th still have their buildings from before 1946; 550 Beatty (1983) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 6 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 Comers

Every directory, as one book

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