Vancouver / Names / K / Kong

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Kongs

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at seven addresses

The directories print seven people named Kong at seven 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 Kongs 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

    201 Carrall Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • You Kong, who ran a laundry 1940

    Next door in 1940: van's coffee shop at 203. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    144 East Broadway

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • W Kong, who ran a laundry 1940

    Next door in 1940: P J Kalley at 140 and J J Hall at 146. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    793 East Georgia Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • T Kong 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs K Nozaki at 775. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    164 East Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Wo Chop Suey Kong 1940

    Next door in 1940: Quen Yen Sun at 162 and Lok Kou Tien at 166. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    640 East Pender Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Pin Kong 1940

    Next door in 1940: “Orientals” at 636 and Goon Wong at 646. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    816 Hawks Avenue

    Strathcona, 1940

    • J Kong, a janitor 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Jackson at 814 and S Dobkin at 818. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    816 Jackson Avenue

    Strathcona, 1940

    • A Kong 1940

    Next door in 1940: “Orientals” at 814 and “Orientals” at 820. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the seven: a laundry (2) and a janitor.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Strathcona (4), Downtown (2) and Mount Pleasant. 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 You Kong, a laundry, at 201 Carrall Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists You Kong there, who ran a laundry. In 1940 the directory lists W Kong, a laundry, at 144 East Broadway. The 1940 name section lists Wong Kong there, who ran a laundry.

In 1940 the directory lists T Kong at 793 East Georgia Street. The 1940 name section lists Tom Kong there as the householder. In 1940 the directory lists Wo Chop Suey Kong at 164 East Pender Street.

Pin Kong is listed at 640 East Pender Street 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 Pin Kong there as the householder. J Kong is listed at 816 Hawks Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Jen Kong there as the householder, a janitor.

A Kong is listed at 816 Jackson Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Albert Kong there as the householder.

Today

The City no longer lists 201 Carrall, 144 East Broadway, 793 East Georgia, 164 East Pender, 640 East Pender, 816 Hawks and 816 Jackson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 13 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.

The book of the Kongs

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Kong 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 K. Want a name removed? Tell us.