Vancouver / Names / G / Gaston

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Gastons

In the city directories 1915–1940 · ten people at five addresses

The directories print ten people named Gaston at five addresses between 1915 and 1940 in four of the city's neighbourhoods. The same first name and initials follow one family between addresses (inferred); the others share only the surname, so we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Gastons at 1122 East 12th 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 Gastons lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below; a gold thread joins the addresses of a person we follow from one to the next, by the same first name and initials (inferred). Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. Following John Gaston, at two addresses (inferred)
  2. 1

    796 Keefer Street

    Strathcona, 1915

    Next door in 1915: Richard N Rahy at 792. The block, door by door

  3. 2

    1122 East 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • T Gaston, proprietor of Regal Bakery 1940
    • John M Gaston, a salesman 1940; in 1915 at 796 Keefer
    • Alfred E Gaston, a salesman at Regal Bakery 1940
    • William H Gaston, a baker at Regal Bakery 1940

    Next door in 1940: V P H Smith at 1118 and T S McGiveron at 1124. The block, door by door

  4. Sharing only the surname
  5. 3

    3375 Church Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • S W Gaston, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: R B Powell at 3371. The block, door by door

  6. 4

    2124 East 4th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • T M Gaston, a laborer at the City of Vancouver 1940
    • Eileen M Gaston, a sewer for J Watson 1940
    • Ernest L Gaston, a clerk for J Watson 1940
    • Robert E Gaston, an electrician 1940

    Next door in 1940: H B Tweed at 2120 and S T Murnane at 2134. The block, door by door

  7. 5

    2133 Yukon Street

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs R Gaston 1940

    Next door in 1940: Yukon Apts at 2129 and Mrs A Kerr at 2135. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the ten: a salesman (2), a baker, a clerk, an electrician, a laborer and a motorman, among others. Some worked for the same employer: three for Regal Bakery and two for J Watson.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Mount Pleasant (2), Grandview-Woodland, Renfrew-Collingwood and Strathcona. 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 1915 the directory lists John Gaston at 796 Keefer Street. T Gaston is listed at 1122 East 12th 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Thomas Gaston there as the householder, proprietor of Regal Bakery, with John M Gaston, a salesman, Alfred E Gaston, a salesman at Regal Bakery, and William H Gaston, a baker at Regal Bakery.

S W Gaston is listed at 3375 Church Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Sam W Gaston there as the householder, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway. T M Gaston is listed at 2124 East 4th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Thomas M Gaston there as the householder, a laborer at the City of Vancouver, with Eileen M Gaston, a sewer for J Watson, Ernest L Gaston, a clerk for J Watson, and Robert E Gaston, an electrician.

Mrs R Gaston is listed at 2133 Yukon Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Ruby Gaston there as the householder.

Today

3375 Church, 1122 East 12th and 2124 East 4th still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 796 Keefer and 2133 Yukon, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 15 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 Gastons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Gaston 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.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

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 G. Want a name removed? Tell us.