Vancouver / Names / M / McDowall

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The McDowalls

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at four addresses

The directories print eight people named McDowall 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 McDowalls 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

    2057 Creelman Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H McDowall, a poultry & egg buyer 1940
    • Olive McDowall, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: J G Gemmell at 2047 and J T Dawson at 2065. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5285 Sherbrooke Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • D W McDowall, a stenographer 1940
    • Margaret McDowall, an elevator operator 1940

    Next door in 1940: P T Morrison at 5261 and Mrs E Harper at 5295. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1325 West 10th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Miss J McDowall 1940
    • Jessie McDowall, a school teacher at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E Mulcahy at 1335. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3582 West 31st Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • F McDowall, an engineer at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Marshall E McDowall, a mechanic 1940

    Next door in 1940: J G Armour at 3576 and L J Forsythe at 3588. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the eight: an elevator operator, an engineer, a mechanic, a poultry, a school teacher and a stenographer.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands, Fairview, Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Kitsilano. 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 McDowall at 2057 Creelman 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Hugh McDowall there as the householder, a poultry & egg buyer, with Olive McDowall, a student. In 1940 the directory lists D W McDowall at 5285 Sherbrooke Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists David W McDowall there as the householder, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway, with David W McDowall Jr, a stenographer, and Margaret McDowall, an elevator operator.

In 1940 the directory lists Miss J McDowall at 1325 West 10th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Jessie McDowall there as the householder, a school teacher at the City of Vancouver. In 1940 the directory lists F McDowall at 3582 West 31st Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick McDowall there as the householder, an engineer at the BC Electric Railway, with Marshall E McDowall, a mechanic.

Today

5285 Sherbrooke and 1325 West 10th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2057 Creelman (2019) and 3582 West 31st (1968) have newer buildings, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 12 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 McDowalls

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the McDowall 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 M. Want a name removed? Tell us.