Vancouver / Names / G / Gear

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Gears

In the city directories 1940 · six people at four addresses

The directories print six people named Gear at four addresses in 1940 in three 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 Gears 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

    1260 East 29th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • W D Gear, a movie operator at the Star Theatre 1940
    • George L Gear, a student 1940
  2. 2

    4137 West 13th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • L T Gear, a postman 1940

    Next door in 1940: H M Van Allen at 4133 and J M Ready at 4143. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2210 West 40th Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • Bertha Gear, a stenographer 1940

    Next door in 1940: W L Ross at 2226. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    4516 West 8th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • W Gear, on active service 1940
    • Moya Gear, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs S Cavers at 4506 and Mrs E Galloway at 4526. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the six: a movie operator, an on active service, a postman and a stenographer.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West Point Grey (2), Arbutus Ridge and Kensington-Cedar Cottage. 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 D Gear at 1260 East 29th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Wilfred D Gear there as the householder, a movie operator at the Star Theatre, with George L Gear, a student. In 1940 the directory lists L T Gear at 4137 West 13th 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 Leslie T Gear there as the householder, a postman.

The 1940 name section lists Bertha Gear at 2210 West 40th Avenue, a stenographer. W Gear is listed at 4516 West 8th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William Gear there as the householder, on active service, with Moya Gear, a student.

Today

4137 West 13th and 4516 West 8th still have their buildings from before 1946, 4516 West 8th on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2210 West 40th (1986) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1260 East 29th, 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 Gears

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Gear 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 G. Want a name removed? Tell us.