Vancouver / Names / E / Elson

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Elsons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at five addresses

The directories print six people named Elson at five addresses in 1940 in four 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 Elsons 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

    2916 Charles Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • W H Elson, a driver at BC Sugar 1940

    Next door in 1940: M Avery at 2946. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    233 Templeton Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • W H Elson, a cleaner at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: G H Gray at 231 and J Leach at 235. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1874 West 16th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Rich L Elson, a reporter at the Canadian Press 1940

    Next door in 1940: E MacGachen at 1826. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    664 West 17th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • R M Elson, a teamster 1940
    • Katharine D Elson, a school teacher 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Sunderland at 638 and R C Hatch at 666. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1960 West King Edward Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • R T Elson, a managing director at News-Herald 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Goldbloom at 1946 and T A H Taylor at 1976. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all six: a cleaner, a driver, a managing director, a reporter, a school teacher and a teamster. Two of them worked for Vancouver City.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Shaughnessy (2), Grandview-Woodland, Hastings-Sunrise and South Cambie. 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 H Elson at 2916 Charles 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 Wilfred H Elson there as the householder, a driver at BC Sugar. In 1940 the directory lists W H Elson at 233 Templeton Drive; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William H Elson there as the householder, a cleaner at the City of Vancouver.

The 1940 name section lists Rich L Elson at 1874 West 16th Avenue, a reporter at the Canadian Press. R M Elson is listed at 664 West 17th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert M Elson there as the householder, a teamster, with Katharine D Elson, a school teacher.

R T Elson is listed at 1960 West King Edward Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Robert T Elson there as the householder, a managing director at News-Herald.

Today

233 Templeton Drive, 664 West 17th and 1960 West King Edward still have their buildings from before 1946; 2916 Charles (1986) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1874 West 16th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 10 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 Elsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Elson 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 E. Want a name removed? Tell us.