Vancouver / Names / O / Oswald

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Oswalds

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at nine addresses

The directories print ten people named Oswald at nine addresses in 1940 in six 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 Oswalds 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

    5242 Blenheim Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • W A Oswald, an assistant fire marshall at the BC Government 1940
    • Margaret J Oswald, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: F P Vance at 5226 and F Howlett at 5258. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2910 Carolina Street

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • H E Oswald, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: 4 listings at 2906 and Mrs A Cortner at 2920. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    210 Carrall Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • John Oswald 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Tauber at 208 and King's Cafe at 212. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2648 East 28th Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • G W Oswald, a driver at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: W C Cuff at 2636 and R W Flanders at 2658. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    219 East Cordova Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Edward Oswald 1940

    Next door in 1940: Acme Lock & Key Serv at 217 and Scandinavian Baptist Mission at 259. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    7494 Ontario Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • R B Oswald 1940

    Next door in 1940: L Hurschman at 7432. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    717 Powell Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mrs Peggy Oswald 1940

    Next door in 1940: western weighing co at 733. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    4616 Reid Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • C E Oswald, a driver at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: F W Hamilton at 4626. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    626 West Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • J C Oswald, an accountant 1940

    Next door in 1940: richards akroyd & gall at 614 and bk of montreal chambers at 640. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the ten: a driver (2), an assistant fire marshall and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Renfrew-Collingwood (2), Strathcona (2), Dunbar-Southlands, Mount Pleasant and Sunset. 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 A Oswald at 5242 Blenheim Street; 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 A Oswald there as the householder, an assistant fire marshall at the BC Government, with Margaret J Oswald, a student. In 1940 the directory lists H E Oswald at 2910 Carolina Street. The 1940 name section lists Harold E Oswald there as the householder, a salesman.

The 1940 name section lists John Oswald at 210 Carrall Street. G W Oswald is listed at 2648 East 28th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists George W Oswald there as the householder, a driver at Spencer's. The 1940 name section lists Edward Oswald at 219 East Cordova Street.

In 1940 the directory lists R B Oswald at 7494 Ontario Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists R Bruce Oswald there as the householder. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Peggy Oswald at 717 Powell Street.

C E Oswald is listed at 4616 Reid Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Cyril E Oswald there as the householder, a driver at Woodward's. J C Oswald, an accountant, is listed at 626 West Pender Street in 1940.

Today

5242 Blenheim, 210 Carrall, 4616 Reid and 626 West Pender still have their buildings from before 1946, 626 West Pender on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2910 Carolina (1982) and 2648 East 28th (1977) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 219 East Cordova, 7494 Ontario and 717 Powell, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 15 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 Oswalds

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Oswald 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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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.