A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Giesbrechts
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Giesbrecht at three 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 Giesbrechts lived
- 1
1056 Comox Street
West End, 1940
- Anne Giesbrecht, a nurse at the St Pauls Hospital 1940
Next door in 1940: G P Campbell at 1070. The block, door by door
- 2
2116 Dundas Street
Grandview-Woodland, 1940
- P Giesbrecht, a millworker at Sterling Lumber 1940
Next door in 1940: D Robinson at 2112 and M Hiriart at 2144. The block, door by door
- 3
296 East 32nd Avenue
Riley Park, 1940
- J J Giesbrecht, a warehouseman at Vancouver Supplies 1940
Next door in 1940: H L Broadbent at 280. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all three: a millworker, a nurse and a warehouseman.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland, Riley Park 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
The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Anne Giesbrecht at 1056 Comox Street, a nurse at the St Pauls Hospital. P Giesbrecht is listed at 2116 Dundas Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Peter Giesbrecht there as the householder, a millworker at Sterling Lumber.
J J Giesbrecht is listed at 296 East 32nd 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 lists Jacob J Giesbrecht there as the householder, a warehouseman at Vancouver Supplies.
Today
296 East 32nd still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1056 Comox and 2116 Dundas, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Giesbrecht Anne nurse St Pauls Hosp1056 Comox, p. 222
- Giesbrecht P2116 Dundas, p. 45
- Giesbrecht Peter mlwkr Sterling Lbr2116 Dundas, p. 222
- *Giesbrecht J J296 East 32nd, p. 247
- Giesbrecht Jacob J whsmn Van Supp296 East 32nd, p. 222
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Giesbrechts
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Giesbrecht 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.