Vancouver / Names / O / Oliphant

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Oliphants

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at five addresses

The directories print eight people named Oliphant at five 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. The most under one roof: three Oliphants at 185 West 10th in 1940.

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 Oliphants 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

    2855 East 20th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • A Oliphant, a foreman at Leslie Coal 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Gandy at 2843 and T Mason at 2861. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2977 East 29th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • J Oliphant, a janitor at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Edwin J Oliphant, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: W McKillop at 2975 and F J Brint at 2979. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1558 Harwood Street

    West End, 1940

    • H M Oliphant, a secretary at the Cobalt Hotel Beer Parlor 1940

    Next door in 1940: R M Blair at 1550. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    185 West 10th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Colin J Oliphant, a trader for Gardiner Wardrop 1940
    • E Jean Oliphant, a stenographer at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Edith M Oliphant, widow of W J 1940

    Next door in 1940: Rev D A Smith at 175 and N E Phinney at 195. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2012 West 8th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J Oliphant, a driver at Jersey Farms 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Tarlton at 2004 and W Paterson at 2018. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for seven of the eight: a driver, a foreman, a janitor, a motorman, a secretary and a stenographer, among others. Three of them worked for BC Electric Railway. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Renfrew-Collingwood (2), Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and West End. 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 Oliphant at 2855 East 20th 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 Alex Oliphant there as the householder, a foreman at Leslie Coal. In 1940 the directory lists J Oliphant at 2977 East 29th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James Oliphant there as the householder, a janitor at the BC Electric Railway, with Edwin J Oliphant, a motorman at the BC Electric Railway.

In 1940 the directory lists H M Oliphant at 1558 Harwood Street. The 1940 name section lists Harold M Oliphant there as the householder, a secretary at the Cobalt Hotel Beer Parlor. The 1940 name section lists Colin J Oliphant at 185 West 10th Avenue, a trader for Gardiner Wardrop, with E Jean Oliphant, a stenographer at the BC Electric Railway, and Edith M Oliphant, widow of W J. The 1940 name section lists J Oliphant at 2012 West 8th Avenue, a driver at Jersey Farms.

Today

2977 East 29th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1911 by the City's record; 2855 East 20th (2007) and 1558 Harwood (1985) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 185 West 10th and 2012 West 8th, 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 Oliphants

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Oliphant 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.