Vancouver / Names / O / Oram

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Orams

In the city directories 1940 · six people at six addresses

The directories print six people named Oram 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 Orams 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

    601 Denman Street

    West End, 1940

    • B Oram 1940

    Next door in 1940: Wharf Denman at 607. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    848 East 27th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • H Steph Oram, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Hatley at 846 and T R Histed at 872. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1737 East 2nd Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • W J Oram, an engineer at the Royal Bank Building 1940

    Next door in 1940: S L Sutton at 1735 and Mrs S E Davis at 1741. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1120 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Gordon Oram, a bell boy at the York Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E Balan at 1112 and 5 listings at 1122. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    738 Richards Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • G Oram 1940

    Next door in 1940: Zenith Engraving Co at 732 and A J Hood at 742. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1035 West Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Harry Oram, a baker at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Zem at 1033 and Mitchell Prntg & Pub at 1037. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the six: a baker, a bell boy, an engineer and an on active service.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), West End (2), Grandview-Woodland and Kensington-Cedar Cottage. 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 B Oram at 601 Denman Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists B Oram there as the householder. The 1940 name section lists H Steph Oram at 848 East 27th Avenue, on active service.

W J Oram is listed at 1737 East 2nd Avenue in 1940; 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 William J Oram there as the householder, an engineer at the Royal Bank Building. The 1940 name section lists Gordon Oram at 1120 Nelson Street, a bell boy at the York Hotel.

In 1940 the directory lists G Oram at 738 Richards Street. The 1940 name section lists George Oram there as the householder. The 1940 name section lists Harry Oram at 1035 West Pender Street, a baker at Woodward's.

Today

1737 East 2nd still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 601 Denman, 848 East 27th, 1120 Nelson, 738 Richards and 1035 West Pender, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Children parading on Denman Street past the Bay Theatre
1950 Children parading on Denman Street past the Bay Theatre. Not at the house at 601 Denman: no archive photo of the 600 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 392-1788. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Orams

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Oram 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.

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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.