Vancouver / Names / J / Johnston / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Johnstons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at six addresses

The directories print six people named Johnston at six addresses in 1940, all on Nelson Street, with the close spelling Johnstone. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 166 other streets too, all listed on the Johnston 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 Johnstons 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

    805 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Leslie Johnston, a serviceman at BC Motor Transportation 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W McNamara at 817. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    840 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Johnston 1940

    Next door in 1940: Oke & Duke at 808. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1115 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs I Johnston 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Davis at 1111 and W A Campbell at 1117. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1117 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Frank Johnston, a barrister 1940

    Next door in 1940: W C Short at 1115 and J Davison at 1119. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1225 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • J Johnston, a waiter at Traveler's Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: queen anne gardens at 1235. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1256 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Norman Johnston 1940

    Next door in 1940: J J Peake at 1248 and F E Stratton at 1268. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the six: a barrister, a serviceman and a waiter.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (4) and 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Leslie Johnston at 805 Nelson Street, a serviceman at BC Motor Transportation. The 1940 name section lists Johnston at 840 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Mrs I Johnston at 1115 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Frank Johnston at 1117 Nelson Street, a barrister.

In 1940 the directory lists J Johnston at 1225 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists John Johnston there as the householder, a waiter at Traveler's Hotel, with James Johnston, a bookkeeper at Western S&D. The 1940 name section lists Norman Johnston at 1256 Nelson Street.

Today

1225 Nelson still has its building from before 1946, dated 1925 by the City's record; 1115 Nelson (1969) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 805 Nelson, 840 Nelson, 1117 Nelson and 1256 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 1225 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1200 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Johnstons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Johnston 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.