Vancouver / Names / N / Nelson / West 13th Avenue

A family name on West 13th Avenue, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and West Point Grey

The Nelsons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at two addresses

The directories print four people named Nelson at two addresses in 1940, all on West 13th Avenue, with the close spellings Neilson and Nielson. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Nelsons at 885 West 13th in 1940. The directories print the name on 134 other streets too, all listed on the Nelson 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 Nelsons 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

    885 West 13th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • G J Nelson, a music teacher 1940
    • Mrs Margaret Nelson, proprietor of The Afton 1940
    • R Nelson, a press feeder at National Paper Box 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Shaw at 875 and Mrs O C Rice at 895. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4138 West 13th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • J E Nelson, an accountant at Dentonia Mines 1940

    Next door in 1940: C J Heaney at 4130 and J W McPhee at 4144. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for all four: an accountant, a music teacher, a press feeder and a proprietor.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview and West Point Grey. 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 G J Nelson at 885 West 13th 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 Glenn J Nelson there as the householder, a music teacher, with Glenn J Nelson Jr, a music teacher, Mrs Margaret Nelson, proprietor of The Afton, R Nelson, an operator at Leckie, and Robert A Nelson, a press feeder at National Paper Box. In 1940 the directory lists J E Nelson at 4138 West 13th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists J Earle Nelson there as the householder, an accountant at Dentonia Mines.

Today

4138 West 13th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1925 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 885 West 13th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

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 Nelsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Nelson 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 N. Want a name removed? Tell us.