Vancouver / Names / P / Patterson / Robson Street

A family name on Robson Street, West End and Downtown

The Pattersons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at six addresses

The directories print six people named Patterson at six addresses in 1940, all on Robson Street, with the close spellings Peterson, Paterson and Petterson. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 160 other streets too, all listed on the Patterson name's own page.

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 Pattersons 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

    509 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • N Peterson, a fisherman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs L Higginbottom at 501. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    521 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Edward Peterson, a logger 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Hadaway at 541. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    655 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Peterson 1940

    Next door in 1940: York Cafe at 619. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    915 Robson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Joseph L Peterson, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Morgan & Paris at 911 and Arts Richmond at 919. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1104 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • F B Patterson, a barber 1940

    Next door in 1940: Doughnut Glaz-O-Nut at 1102 and Chong Sing at 1106. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1783 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Roy Patterson, proprietor of the Parkway Apartments 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Whitehead at 1781 and H L Sharp at 1785. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the six: a fisherman, a logger, a proprietor and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (4) and West End (2). 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 N Peterson at 509 Robson Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Nicholia Peterson there as the householder, a fisherman. The 1940 name section lists Edward Peterson at 521 Robson Street, a logger. The 1940 name section lists Peterson at 655 Robson Street.

The 1940 name section lists Joseph L Peterson at 915 Robson Street, a salesman. F B Patterson, a barber, is listed at 1104 Robson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Roy Patterson at 1783 Robson Street, proprietor of the Parkway Apartments.

Today

The City no longer lists 509 Robson, 521 Robson, 655 Robson, 915 Robson, 1104 Robson and 1783 Robson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 7 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 Pattersons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Patterson 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 P. Want a name removed? Tell us.