Vancouver / Names / D / Dolby

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Dolbys

In the city directories 1940 · five people at three addresses

The directories print five people named Dolby at three 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.

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 Dolbys 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

    4550 James Street

    Riley Park, 1940

    • W C Dolby, a boilermaker 1940
    • Hazel Dolby, a saleswoman at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: J McAllister at 4540 and H D Beaton at 4560. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1516 Powell Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • G Dolby 1940

    Next door in 1940: M Adachi at 1514. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2963 West 23rd Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • A Dolby, a | 1940
    • Sarah Dolby, a waitress 1940

    Next door in 1940: W G Inge at 2961 and M Tanii at 2993. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a boilermaker, a saleswoman and a waitress.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Arbutus Ridge, Grandview-Woodland 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

In 1940 the directory lists W C Dolby at 4550 James 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, where each person's work is printed, lists William C Dolby there as the householder, a boilermaker, with Hazel Dolby, a saleswoman at Spencer's. The 1940 name section lists G Dolby at 1516 Powell Street.

A Dolby is listed at 2963 West 23rd Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Arthur Dolby there as the householder, a logger, with Arthur Dolby Jr, a |, and Sarah Dolby, a waitress.

Today

4550 James and 1516 Powell still have their buildings from before 1946, 1516 Powell on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2963 West 23rd (1971) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Dolbys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Dolby 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 D. Want a name removed? Tell us.