Vancouver / Names / O / O'Dwyer

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The O'Dwyers

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at six addresses

The directories print eight people named O'Dwyer at six 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 O'Dwyers lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    600 Davie Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • W J O'Dwyer, proprietor of the City Baggage Exchange 1940

    Next door in 1940: T R Tailors at 610. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1942 East 6th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Mrs M O'Dwyer, widow of D N 1940
    • Maude O'Dwyer, a tailoress 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Bedford at 1936 and C Teague at 1950. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    871 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • John J O'Dwyer, a clerk at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: Jerome's at 869 and Weston Fur Co at 873. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    34 West 15th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Maureen O'Dwyer, a housekeeper for A Gray 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Dougan at 36. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3405 West 22nd Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Vera G O'Dwyer 1940

    Next door in 1940: A R Wood at 3417. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    3905 West 30th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • C B O'Dwyer, a clerk at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Sheila M O'Dwyer, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: W B Dow at 3915. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the eight: a clerk (2), a housekeeper, a proprietor and a tailoress. Two of them worked for BC Electric Railway. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Dunbar-Southlands (2), Grandview-Woodland 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 W J O'Dwyer at 600 Davie Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William J O'Dwyer there as the householder, proprietor of the City Baggage Exchange. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M O'Dwyer at 1942 East 6th 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 Margaret O'Dwyer there as the householder, widow of D N, with Maude O'Dwyer, a tailoress.

The 1940 name section lists John J O'Dwyer at 871 Granville Street, a clerk at the BC Electric Railway. The 1940 name section lists Maureen O'Dwyer at 34 West 15th Avenue, a housekeeper for A Gray. The 1940 name section lists Vera G O'Dwyer at 3405 West 22nd Avenue.

C B O'Dwyer is listed at 3905 West 30th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Cecil B O'Dwyer there as the householder, a clerk at the BC Electric Railway, with Sheila M O'Dwyer, a student.

Today

3405 West 22nd (2012) and 3905 West 30th (1983) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 600 Davie, 1942 East 6th, 871 Granville and 34 West 15th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 11 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 O'Dwyers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the O'Dwyer 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 O. Want a name removed? Tell us.