Vancouver / Names / D / Don

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Dons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at five addresses

The directories print six people named Don at five addresses in 1940 in four of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Donn. 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 Dons 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

    1254 Bidwell Street

    West End, 1940

    • J H Donn, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Szekely at 1250 and A R Dale at 1256. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4356 Elgin Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A G Don, a sheet metal worker at Electric Panel Manufacturing 1940

    Next door in 1940: F E Dunn at 4336. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1045 Haro Street

    West End, 1940

    • T Don, a caretaker at the St George Apartments 1940

    Next door in 1940: E L Clarke at 1033 and J Cuming at 1051. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2110 Semlin Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J Don, a stenographer 1940
    • Gladys I Don, a clerk at Royal Trust 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Hart at 2104 and W M Taylor at 2114. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3181 West 10th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J S Don, a secretary at Electric Panel Manufacturing 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Murray at 3171 and W Macintosh at 3191. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all six: a caretaker, a clerk, an on active service, a secretary, a sheet metal worker and a stenographer. Two of them worked for Electric Panel Manufacturing.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (2), Grandview-Woodland, Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Kitsilano. 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 J H Donn at 1254 Bidwell Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists James H Donn there as the householder, on active service. In 1940 the directory lists A G Don at 4356 Elgin 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 lists Alfred G Don there as the householder, a sheet metal worker at Electric Panel Manufacturing.

In 1940 the directory lists T Don at 1045 Haro Street. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Don there as the householder, a caretaker at the St George Apartments. In 1940 the directory lists J Don at 2110 Semlin Drive. The 1940 name section lists James Don there as the householder, a cutter at Clarke & Stuart, with James S Don, a stenographer, and Gladys I Don, a clerk at Royal Trust.

In 1940 the directory lists J S Don at 3181 West 10th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James S Don there as the householder, a secretary at Electric Panel Manufacturing.

Today

2110 Semlin Drive and 3181 West 10th still have their buildings from before 1946; 4356 Elgin (1980) and 1045 Haro (1980) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1254 Bidwell, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 12 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 Dons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Don 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.