Vancouver / Names / D / Dowler

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Dowlers

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at two addresses

The directories print seven people named Dowler at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: five Dowlers at 3790 Alexandra in 1940.

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 Dowlers 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

    3790 Alexandra Street

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • E D Dowler, a manager at Martin & Robertson 1940
    • David R Dowler, a student at UBC 1940
    • Ernest A Dowler, a warehouseman at Martin & Robertson 1940
    • Isabelle J Dowler, a stenographer at Campney Owen & Murphy 1940
    • John R Dowler, a salesman at Martin & Robertson 1940
  2. 2

    1125 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • R Dowler, a manager at the Clifton Hotel 1940
    • Mrs Mabel Dowler, proprietor of the Corona Hotel and Clifton Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: Hemenway & Son at 1123 and L N Gowdy at 1127. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the seven: a manager (2), a proprietor, a salesman, a stenographer and a warehouseman. Three of them worked for Martin & Robertson.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown and Shaughnessy. 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 E D Dowler at 3790 Alexandra 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 Ernest D Dowler there as the householder, a manager at Martin & Robertson, with David R Dowler, a student at UBC, Ernest A Dowler, a warehouseman at Martin & Robertson, Isabelle J Dowler, a stenographer at Campney Owen & Murphy, and John R Dowler, a salesman at Martin & Robertson. In 1940 the directory lists R Dowler at 1125 Granville Street. The 1940 name section lists Robert Dowler there as the householder, a manager at the Clifton Hotel, with Mrs Mabel Dowler, proprietor of the Corona Hotel and Clifton Hotel.

Today

1125 Granville still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3790 Alexandra, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Dowlers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Dowler 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.