Vancouver / Names / I / Imperial

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Imperials

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Imperial 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 Imperials 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

    1038 Hamilton Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Sales Imperial 1940

    Next door in 1940: Crawford Stge at 1030 and pacific brewers agts at 1040. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    250 Prior Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Wiping Rag Imperial 1940
  3. 3

    1174 West 64th Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • Nurseries Imperial 1940
  4. 4

    640 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Life Imperial 1940

    Next door in 1940: Strand Cigar Store at 626 and can bank of com at 698. The block, door by door

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Marpole 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Sales Imperial at 1038 Hamilton Street. Wiping Rag Imperial is listed at 250 Prior Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists Nurseries Imperial at 1174 West 64th Avenue. Life Imperial is listed at 640 West Hastings Street in 1940.

Today

1174 West 64th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1908 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1038 Hamilton, 250 Prior and 640 West Hastings, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 4 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Imperials

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Imperial 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 I. Want a name removed? Tell us.