Vancouver / Names / O / O'Leary

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The O'Learys

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at eight addresses

The directories print ten people named O'Leary at eight addresses in 1940 in seven of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling OLeary. 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'Learys 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

    2928 East 6th Avenue

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • A S O O'Leary, a waiter at the BC Coast Steamship Service 1940

    Next door in 1940: W H Tucker at 2916 and R J Tucker at 2956. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    134 Powell Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • J O'Leary 1940

    Next door in 1940: W G Humphrey at 132 and Mrs H Omae at 136. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1914 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • O'Leary (no first name printed), a saleswoman 1940

    Next door in 1940: J B W Green at 1960. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1715 West 11th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Patricia O'Leary 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs G Armistead at 1725. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3989 West 13th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • T J O'Leary, a conductor 1940
    • R O'Leary, a glazier at Contractors Supply S & D 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Rankin at 3985. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    682 West 19th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • Mrs E OLeary, widow of J 1940
    • Genevieve O'Leary 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Griffin at 680 and F C Smith at 686. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    686 West 8th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • G E P O'Leary, a fuel dealer 1940

    Next door in 1940: H J Billis at 676. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2850 West King Edward Avenue

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • Walter J O'Leary, an apprentice at Mitchell-Foley 1940

    Next door in 1940: E A S Chowne at 2828. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the ten: an apprentice, a conductor, a fuel dealer, a glazier, a saleswoman and a waiter. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Arbutus Ridge, Downtown, Hastings-Sunrise, South Cambie, West End 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 A S O O'Leary at 2928 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, where each person's work is printed, lists Aloysius S O O'Leary there as the householder, a waiter at the BC Coast Steamship Service. The 1940 name section lists J O'Leary at 134 Powell Street. The 1940 name section lists O'Leary (no first name printed) at 1914 Robson Street, a saleswoman.

The 1940 name section lists Patricia O'Leary at 1715 West 11th Avenue. T J O'Leary is listed at 3989 West 13th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Thomas J O'Leary there as the householder, a conductor, with R O'Leary, a glazier at Contractors Supply S & D.

Mrs E OLeary is listed at 682 West 19th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ethel O'Leary there as the householder, widow of J, with Genevieve O'Leary. G E P O'Leary is listed at 686 West 8th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Gordon E P O'Leary there as the householder, a fuel dealer.

The 1940 name section lists Walter J O'Leary at 2850 West King Edward Avenue, an apprentice at Mitchell-Foley.

Today

134 Powell and 3989 West 13th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2928 East 6th (1972), 1914 Robson (1963) and 1715 West 11th (1972) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 682 West 19th, 686 West 8th and 2850 West King Edward, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 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'Learys

Every directory, as one book

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