Vancouver / Names / M / McDonald / Robson Street

A family name on Robson Street, West End and Downtown

The McDonalds

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at seven addresses

The directories print eight people named McDonald at seven addresses in 1940, all on Robson Street, with the close spellings MacDonald and Macdonald. 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 231 other streets too, all listed on the McDonald 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 McDonalds 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

    515 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Evelyn McDonald 1940
    • Marjorie Macdonald 1940
  2. 2

    1048 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs Margaret Macdonald 1940

    Next door in 1940: Standard Prod at 1044 and Rainbow Prod at 1050. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1109 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • R R MacDonald 1940

    Next door in 1940: D M Hourigan at 1111. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1165 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Sarah McDonald 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E G Portwood at 1159 and J F Fitzpatrick at 1169. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1234 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • G W McDonald, an accountant at Safeway Stores 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs S Hoy at 1222 and Mrs E M Adams at 1240. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1329 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • G MacDonald, a salesman at British Investment 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs I K Ackroyd at 1327 and T M Manson at 1333. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1860 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • James M McDonald, proprietor of McDonald's Fine Chocolate 1940

    Next door in 1940: richborough apts at 1840 and Mrs L E Atkins at 1898. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the eight: an accountant, a proprietor and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (6) and Downtown. 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 Evelyn McDonald at 515 Robson Street, with Marjorie Macdonald. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Margaret Macdonald at 1048 Robson Street. In 1940 the directory lists R R MacDonald at 1109 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists Sarah McDonald at 1165 Robson Street.

In 1940 the directory lists G W McDonald at 1234 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists George W McDonald there as the householder, an accountant at Safeway Stores. In 1940 the directory lists G MacDonald at 1329 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists Gordon MacDonald there as the householder, a salesman at British Investment.

The 1940 name section lists James M McDonald at 1860 Robson Street, proprietor of McDonald's Fine Chocolate.

Today

1329 Robson (1991) and 1860 Robson (1986) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 515 Robson, 1048 Robson, 1109 Robson, 1165 Robson and 1234 Robson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 10 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 McDonalds

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the McDonald 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.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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 M. Want a name removed? Tell us.