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A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Donovans

In the city directories 1940 · 17 people at 13 addresses

The directories print 17 people named Donovan at 13 addresses in 1940 in eight 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 Donovans 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

    1630 Alberni Street

    West End, 1940

    • W J Donovan, a waiter 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A M Dafoe at 1624 and W J Scott at 1640. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    34 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • George H Donovan, a druggist for F K Morgan 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Jones at 30 and Mrs G Hartman at 46. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1348 East 18th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • C A Donovan, a clerk 1940
    • Ralph W Donovan, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: P S Campbell at 1342 and W Bunyan at 1354. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1612 East 8th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs Dorothy M Donovan, a saleswoman 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Isles at 1604 and T Ide at 1618. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1524 Haro Street

    West End, 1940

    • G O Donovan, an engineer 1940
    • Basil G Donovan, a student at UBC 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs D Forster-Coull at 1520 and Miss E Dunlop at 1526. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1915 Haro Street

    West End, 1940

    • Miss M E Donovan 1940
    • M Evelyn Donovan, a stenographer at the RCMP 1940

    Next door in 1940: haro lodge at 1935. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    749 Kaslo Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • P J Donovan, an assistant pound keeper at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Carr at 739 and H Rippon at 769. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1419 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs L Donovan, a widow 1940
    • Orph Donovan 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss M Kennedy at 1415 and Mrs M Paterson at 1433. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    6405 Prince Edward Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • Arthur J Donovan, a conductor at the CNR 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Beveridge at 6451. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    1030 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Joseph A Donovan, proprietor of White Corner Hamburger 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss F Brand at 1028 and Robson Farm Mkt at 1032. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    855 Thurlow Street

    West End, 1940

    • T M Donovan, a waiter at the Devonshire Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: G A Burton at 811 and 21 listings at 859. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    2657 West 3rd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Emma A Donovan, a stenographer at Walsh Construction 1940

    Next door in 1940: J F Putnam at 2653. The block, door by door

  13. 13

    6744 Yew Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Shirley Donovan, a maid for G B Binns 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Vale at 6720. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for twelve of the 17: a stenographer (2), a waiter (2), an assistant pound keeper, a clerk, a conductor and a druggist, among others. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (6), Grandview-Woodland, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kerrisdale, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and Sunset. 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 J Donovan at 1630 Alberni Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William J Donovan there as the householder, a waiter. The 1940 name section lists George H Donovan at 34 East 12th Avenue, a druggist for F K Morgan.

C A Donovan is listed at 1348 East 18th 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 lists Charles A Donovan there as the householder, a clerk, with Ralph W Donovan, a student. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Dorothy M Donovan at 1612 East 8th Avenue, a saleswoman.

In 1940 the directory lists G O Donovan at 1524 Haro Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists George O Donovan there as the householder, an engineer, with Basil G Donovan, a student at UBC. In 1940 the directory lists Miss M E Donovan at 1915 Haro Street. The 1940 name section lists M Evelyn Donovan there as the householder, a stenographer at the RCMP.

In 1940 the directory lists P J Donovan at 749 Kaslo Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Patrick J Donovan there as the householder, an assistant pound keeper at the City of Vancouver. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs L Donovan at 1419 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Laura Donovan there as the householder, a widow, with Orph Donovan.

The 1940 name section lists Arthur J Donovan at 6405 Prince Edward Street, a conductor at the CNR. The 1940 name section lists Joseph A Donovan at 1030 Robson Street, proprietor of White Corner Hamburger. In 1940 the directory lists T M Donovan at 855 Thurlow Street. The 1940 name section lists Thomas M Donovan there as the householder, a waiter at the Devonshire Hotel.

The 1940 name section lists Emma A Donovan at 2657 West 3rd Avenue, a stenographer at Walsh Construction. The 1940 name section lists Shirley Donovan at 6744 Yew Street, a maid for G B Binns.

Today

34 East 12th, 1612 East 8th, 1915 Haro, 749 Kaslo, 6405 Prince Edward, 1030 Robson, 855 Thurlow and 6744 Yew still have their buildings from before 1946, 6405 Prince Edward and 855 Thurlow on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1630 Alberni (1975) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1524 Haro, 1419 Nelson and 2657 West 3rd, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred); for 1348 East 18th, its page says what we could and couldn't match to today's buildings.

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, street section

The book of the Donovans

Every directory, as one book

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