Vancouver / Names / P / Pitman

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Pitmans

In the city directories 1940 · nine people at seven addresses

The directories print nine people named Pitman at seven 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. The most under one roof: three Pitmans at 1344 Comox 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 Pitmans 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

    4236 Balkan Street

    Riley Park, 1940

    • E E Pitman, proprietor of Alberta Barber Shop 1940

    Next door in 1940: P J Gorry at 4232 and J Manson at 4256. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1344 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • A Pitman, who kept rooms to let 1940
    • Ken A Pitman, an apprentice at Cunningham Drug 1940
    • Violet M Pitman, a stenographer at Dominion Furniture 1940

    Next door in 1940: H A H Oliver at 1330 and A A MacKay at 1350. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1061 East 10th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • R C Pitman, a clerk at the Canadian Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Dixon at 1049 and W E Fone at 1071. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    634 East Georgia Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • E Pitman 1940

    Next door in 1940: dickinson apts at 630 and A Rimousky at 638. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2715 Grant Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • E Pitman, a driver at BC Fir 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Kissack at 2711 and R W Deans at 2721. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1171 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W B Pitman, proprietor of Pitman Optical House 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E R Forbes at 1169 and Mrs M L Ware at 1173. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    605 West Hastings Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Optical House Pitman 1940

    Next door in 1940: empire building at 603 and W H Grassie at 607. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the nine: a proprietor (2), an apprentice, a clerk, a driver and a stenographer.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (2), Downtown, Hastings-Sunrise, Mount Pleasant, Riley Park and Strathcona. 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 E E Pitman at 4236 Balkan 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 Ernest E Pitman there as the householder, proprietor of Alberta Barber Shop. In 1940 the directory lists A Pitman, rooms to let, at 1344 Comox Street. The 1940 name section lists Ansley Pitman there, who kept rooms to let, with Ken A Pitman, an apprentice at Cunningham Drug, and Violet M Pitman, a stenographer at Dominion Furniture.

In 1940 the directory lists R C Pitman at 1061 East 10th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Robert C Pitman there as the householder, a clerk at the Canadian Government. The 1940 name section lists E Pitman at 634 East Georgia Street.

E Pitman is listed at 2715 Grant Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ernest Pitman there as the householder, a driver at BC Fir. W B Pitman is listed at 1171 Nelson Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William B Pitman there as the householder, proprietor of Pitman Optical House.

The 1940 name section lists Optical House Pitman at 605 West Hastings Street.

Today

4236 Balkan, 1061 East 10th and 634 East Georgia still have their buildings from before 1946, 634 East Georgia on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2715 Grant (1985) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1344 Comox, 1171 Nelson and 605 West Hastings, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Comox Street looking east from Denman, lined with cut-back boulevard trees
1925 Comox Street looking east from Denman, lined with cut-back boulevard trees. Not at the house at 1344 Comox: no archive photo of the 1300 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 357-1. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 14 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 Pitmans

Every directory, as one book

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