Vancouver / Names / E / Esplen

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Esplens

In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses

The directories print four people named Esplen at three addresses in 1940 in two 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 Esplens 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

    2537 Balaclava Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • D B P Esplen, proprietor of Imperial Dental Lab 1940

    Next door in 1940: J D Woodrow at 2521 and F Woodward at 2543. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1770 West 59th Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • R J Esplen, a filer at Canadian White Pine 1940

    Next door in 1940: E D McMahon at 1764. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1526 West 63rd Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • D L Esplen, a laborer at Canadian White Pine 1940
    • Elsie R Esplen, a school teacher at Richmond Municipality 1940

    Next door in 1940: B Doran at 1570. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all four: a filer, a laborer, a proprietor and a school teacher. Two of them worked for Canadian White Pine.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Marpole (2) 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 D B P Esplen at 2537 Balaclava Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists D Baden P Esplen there as the householder, proprietor of Imperial Dental Lab. In 1940 the directory lists R J Esplen at 1770 West 59th Avenue; 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 Robert J Esplen there as the householder, a filer at Canadian White Pine.

In 1940 the directory lists D L Esplen at 1526 West 63rd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists David L Esplen there as the householder, a laborer at Canadian White Pine, with Elsie R Esplen, a school teacher at Richmond Municipality.

Today

2537 Balaclava and 1770 West 59th still have their buildings from before 1946, 2537 Balaclava on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1526 West 63rd (1978) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 7 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 Esplens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Esplen 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.