Vancouver / Names / J / Johnson / Helmcken Street

A family name on Helmcken Street, Downtown

The Johnsons

In the city directories 1940 · three people at two addresses

The directories print three people named Johnson at two addresses in 1940, all on Helmcken Street, with the close spellings Johanson, Johannson and Johansson. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 209 other streets too, all listed on the Johnson name's own page.

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 Johnsons 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

    436 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs A Johnson, a saleswoman 1940
    • Russell Johnson 1940

    Next door in 1940: J P Hayes at 432 and Mrs M I Leslie at 438. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    540 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • W Johnson, a salesman at BC Barber Supplies 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Smith at 538 and E Schofield at 542. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the three: a salesman and a saleswoman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2). 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 Mrs A Johnson at 436 Helmcken Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mrs Annie Johnson there as the householder, a saleswoman, with Russell Johnson. In 1940 the directory lists W Johnson at 540 Helmcken Street. The 1940 name section lists William Johnson there as the householder, a salesman at BC Barber Supplies.

Today

540 Helmcken still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 436 Helmcken, so that building is 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.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Johnsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Johnson 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 J. Want a name removed? Tell us.