Vancouver / Names / R / Rita

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Ritas

In the city directories 1940 · five people at two addresses

The directories print five people named Rita at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Ritas at 1932 Adanac 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 Ritas 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

    1932 Adanac Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • F P Rita, an agent for Metro Life 1940
    • Angelo A Rita, a chef at the CPR 1940
    • Arthur N Rita, a student 1940
    • Joseph Rita, a cook at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: R J Innes at 1922 and R E Wintrip at 1936. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    870 East Pender Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • V Rita 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A Tapella at 866 and A Mantei at 894. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: an agent, a chef and a cook. Two of them worked for CPR.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland 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 F P Rita at 1932 Adanac 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 Frank P Rita there as the householder, an agent for Metro Life, with Angelo A Rita, a chef at the CPR, Arthur N Rita, a student, and Joseph Rita, a cook at the CPR. In 1940 the directory lists V Rita at 870 East Pender Street; the 1940 line is marked * too.

Today

1932 Adanac (2004) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 870 East Pender, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 6 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 Ritas

Every directory, as one book

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