Vancouver / Names / L / Langston

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Langstons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Langston at four addresses in 1940 in four 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 Langstons 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

    2134 East Pender Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • H W Langston, a laborer at Burns & Co 1940

    Next door in 1940: J V Slavin at 2130 and A Whatcott at 2136. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    17 West 12th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • R C Langston, a clerk at Wilkinson Co 1940

    Next door in 1940: W S Phelps at 15 and oakdale apartments at 25. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    469 West 23rd Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • F Langston, a messenger at the Bank of Toronto 1940

    Next door in 1940: F A Monk at 461 and J L Swanson at 475. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2815 West 35th Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • H H Langston, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Thorpe at 2803 and W J McFarlane at 2819. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the four: a clerk, a laborer and a messenger.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Arbutus Ridge, Grandview-Woodland, Mount Pleasant and Riley Park. 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 H W Langston at 2134 East Pender Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Howard W Langston there as the householder, a laborer at Burns & Co. In 1940 the directory lists R C Langston at 17 West 12th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Ralph C Langston there as the householder, a clerk at Wilkinson Co.

In 1940 the directory lists F Langston at 469 West 23rd Avenue; 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 Frank Langston there as the householder, a messenger at the Bank of Toronto. In 1940 the directory lists H H Langston at 2815 West 35th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Henry H Langston there as the householder, retired.

Today

2134 East Pender and 469 West 23rd still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 17 West 12th and 2815 West 35th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Riders in costume in a Chinese parade on East Pender Street, past the Kwong Yee Lung Co.
1936–1938 Riders in costume in a Chinese parade on East Pender Street, past the Kwong Yee Lung Co.. Not at the house at 2134 East Pender: no archive photo of the 2100 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 300-101. 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, street section

The book of the Langstons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Langston 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 L. Want a name removed? Tell us.