A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The O'Maras
In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses
The directories print two people named O'Mara at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling O'Meara. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: 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'Maras lived
- 1
3043 East 29th Avenue
Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940
- W O'Meara, a barber for J Nicoll 1940
Next door in 1940: W J Bennett at 3035 and C Brummitt at 3047. The block, door by door
- 2
771 Homer Street
Downtown, 1940
- J O'Mara 1940
Next door in 1940: B Mercosky at 767 and A E Armstrong at 777. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for one of the two: a barber.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown and Renfrew-Collingwood. 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 O'Meara at 3043 East 29th 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 William O'Meara there as the householder, a barber for J Nicoll. In 1940 the directory lists J O'Mara at 771 Homer Street.
Today
3043 East 29th (1997) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 771 Homer, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 3 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *O'Meara W3043 East 29th, p. 245
- O'Meara Wm barber J Nicoll3043 East 29th, p. 471
- O'Mara J771 Homer, p. 85
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the O'Maras
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the O'Mara 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.