Vancouver / Names / R / Ralston

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Ralstons

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at twelve addresses

The directories print 13 people named Ralston at twelve addresses in 1940 in nine 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 Ralstons 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

    5357 Angus Drive

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • J C Ralston, a barrister 1940
    • Don Ralston, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E H Hebb at 5341 and Mrs A M Haviland at 5375. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4426 Dunbar Street

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Mrs J Ralston 1940

    Next door in 1940: Marina's Choc Shop at 4424 and G E Gay at 4442. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    252 East 1st Avenue

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Cath Ralston, widow of G 1940

    Next door in 1940: Western Iron Metal Great at 248 and G Calabrigo at 258. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    215 East 21st Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • R Ralston, who worked for Ford Motor 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Paul at 217. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    204 Glen Drive

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mrs Emma Ralston 1940
  6. 6

    475 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • J C Ralston, a barrister 1940

    Next door in 1940: Macaulay Nicolls Maitland & Co Ltd at 435. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2102 Ontario Street

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Joseph Ralston, a helper at the Burrard Dry Dock 1940
  8. 8

    515 Seymour Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • C Ralston, a helper at the Burrard Dry Dock 1940

    Next door in 1940: C R Tate at 521. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1016 West 12th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • T Ralston, a collector at M T Co 1940

    Next door in 1940: charlotte court at 1006 and H A Turner at 1020. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    568 West 27th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • Grace Ralston, a chocolate dipper at Welch's 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W Mounce at 548 and J Reid at 582. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    2426 West 6th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Sarah L Ralston, widow of C C 1940

    Next door in 1940: J M Hughson at 2416 and J McWilliam at 2434. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    1694 West Broadway

    Fairview, 1940

    • John J Ralston, a fireman at R & H Sawmill 1940

    Next door in 1940: L Baker at 1690. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for seven of the 13: a helper (2), a barrister, a chocolate dipper, a collector, an employee and a fireman. Two of them worked for Burrard Dry Dock. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Fairview (2), Strathcona (2), Dunbar-Southlands, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, Shaughnessy and South Cambie. 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 June 1929 J C Ralston took out the permit to build a house at 5357 Angus Drive. In 1940 the directory lists J C Ralston at 5357 Angus Drive; 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 James C Ralston there as the householder, a barrister, with Don Ralston, a student. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs J Ralston at 4426 Dunbar Street.

The 1940 name section lists Cath Ralston at 252 East 1st Avenue, widow of G. In 1940 the directory lists R Ralston at 215 East 21st Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Robert Ralston there as the householder, who worked for Ford Motor. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Emma Ralston at 204 Glen Drive.

J C Ralston, a barrister, is listed at 475 Howe Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Joseph Ralston at 2102 Ontario Street, a helper at the Burrard Dry Dock. The 1940 name section lists C Ralston at 515 Seymour Street, a helper at the Burrard Dry Dock.

In 1940 the directory lists T Ralston at 1016 West 12th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Ralston there as the householder, a collector at M T Co. The 1940 name section lists Grace Ralston at 568 West 27th Avenue, a chocolate dipper at Welch's. The 1940 name section lists Sarah L Ralston at 2426 West 6th Avenue, widow of C C.

The 1940 name section lists John J Ralston at 1694 West Broadway, a fireman at R & H Sawmill.

Today

215 East 21st, 475 Howe, 515 Seymour and 568 West 27th still have their buildings from before 1946; 5357 Angus Drive (1996), 252 East 1st (1984), 1016 West 12th (1958) and 2426 West 6th (2006) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 4426 Dunbar, 204 Glen Drive, 2102 Ontario and 1694 West Broadway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

A man on a white horse at the first camp for clearing Shaughnessy, near Angus Drive
1912 A man on a white horse at the first camp for clearing Shaughnessy, near Angus Drive. Not at the house at 5357 Angus Drive: no archive photo of the 5300 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Dist P24.1. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 16 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 Ralstons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Ralston 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 R. Want a name removed? Tell us.