Vancouver / Names / E / Elvin

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Elvins

In the city directories 1940 · six people at five addresses

The directories print six people named Elvin at five addresses in 1940 in five 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 Elvins 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

    923 Denman Street

    West End, 1940

    • Dr A G Elvin, a physician 1940

    Next door in 1940: Redclyffe's Choc Shop at 917 and Beauty Salon Hanna at 927. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    825 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Dr R J Elvin, a physician 1940

    Next door in 1940: R G Hunter at 823 and Green Parrot Coffee Shop at 827. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    315 North Kaslo Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • W Elvin, an operator at Leckie 1940

    Next door in 1940: E L Smith at 309 and G H Richardson at 321. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1110 West 33rd Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Dr R J Elvin, a physician 1940
    • Mrs May W Elvin, a president at Foster's Fine Fur Store 1940

    Next door in 1940: C R Brenchley at 1178. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    638 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • Mrs C Elvin 1940

    Next door in 1940: Ferguson & Hart at 636 and D Robinson at 640. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the six: an operator, a physician and a president.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown, Fairview, Hastings-Sunrise, Shaughnessy and West End. 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 Dr A G Elvin, a physician, at 923 Denman Street. Dr R J Elvin, a physician, is listed at 825 Granville Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists W Elvin at 315 North Kaslo 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 Elvin there as the householder, an operator at Leckie.

In 1940 the directory lists Dr R J Elvin at 1110 West 33rd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Richard J Elvin there as the householder, a physician, with Mrs May W Elvin, a president at Foster's Fine Fur Store. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs C Elvin at 638 West Broadway. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Cath Elvin there as the householder.

Today

923 Denman, 825 Granville, 315 North Kaslo, 1110 West 33rd and 638 West Broadway still have their buildings from before 1946.

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 Elvins

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Elvin 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.