A family name on West 13th Avenue, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and West Point Grey
The Cowans
In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses
The directories print four people named Cowan at three addresses in 1940, all on West 13th Avenue. 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 48 other streets too, all listed on the Cowan 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 Cowans lived
- 1
355 West 13th Avenue
Mount Pleasant, 1940
- Rita Cowan, a nurse for E R Nordin 1940
Next door in 1940: Miss R L Mahrer at 345. The block, door by door
- 2
1545 West 13th Avenue
Fairview, 1940
- C O Cowan, a salesman at Massey-Harris 1940
- Susan D Cowan, a school teacher at the Burnaby Corporation 1940
Next door in 1940: T Funston at 1555. The block, door by door
- 3
3946 West 13th Avenue
West Point Grey, 1940
- E H Cowan, an agent at Travelers Insurance 1940
Next door in 1940: E J Randall at 3938 and Mrs H M Grafstrom at 3952. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all four: an agent, a nurse, a salesman and a school teacher.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Fairview, Mount Pleasant and West Point Grey. 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 Rita Cowan at 355 West 13th Avenue, a nurse for E R Nordin. C O Cowan is listed at 1545 West 13th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Carl O Cowan there as the householder, a salesman at Massey-Harris, with Susan D Cowan, a school teacher at the Burnaby Corporation.
E H Cowan is listed at 3946 West 13th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Edgar H Cowan there as the householder, an agent at Travelers Insurance.
Today
3946 West 13th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1927 by the City's record; 1545 West 13th (1985) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 355 West 13th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 6 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Cowan Rita nurse E R Nordin355 West 13th, p. 132
- Cowan C O1545 West 13th, p. 212
- Cowan Carl O slsmn Massey-Harris1545 West 13th, p. 132
- Cowan Susan D sch tchr Bby Corpn1545 West 13th, p. 132
- Cowan E H3946 West 13th, p. 213
- Cowan Edgar H agt Travelers Ins3946 West 13th, p. 132
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Cowans
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Cowan 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.
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.