Vancouver / Names / S / Selman

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Selmans

In the city directories 1940 · eight people at six addresses

The directories print eight people named Selman at six addresses in 1940 in five 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 Selmans 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

    4583 Elgin Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • C H Selman, a machinist at Canadian Wood Pipe 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Lomholdt at 4555 and G H Chamberlain at 4595. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5612 Laburnum Street

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • G S Selman, a secretary-treasurer at Canadian Wood Pipe 1940

    Next door in 1940: N G B Burley at 5638. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3225 Point Grey Road

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • H G Selman, a general manager at Canadian Wood Pipe & Tanks and a president at Capital Estates 1940
    • Merle B Selman, a stenographer at Canadian Wood Pipe 1940

    Next door in 1940: F O Orr at 3235. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2553 Wallace Crescent

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • R G Selman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss S L Thrupp at 2547. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1066 West 12th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • J F Selman, who kept rooms to let 1940
    • William R Selman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs B E McKinnon at 1054 and P E Bradley at 1074. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1595 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • H E Selman, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss E K Hipperson at 1585. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the eight: a general manager, a machinist, a secretary-treasurer and a stenographer. Three of them worked for Canadian Wood Pipe.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview (2), Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Shaughnessy and West Point Grey. 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 C H Selman at 4583 Elgin 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 Clarence H Selman there as the householder, a machinist at Canadian Wood Pipe. In 1940 the directory lists G S Selman at 5612 Laburnum Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Gordon S Selman there as the householder, a secretary-treasurer at Canadian Wood Pipe.

In 1940 the directory lists H G Selman at 3225 Point Grey Road; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Hubert G Selman there as the householder, a general manager at Canadian Wood Pipe & Tanks and a president at Capital Estates, with Merle B Selman, a stenographer at Canadian Wood Pipe. In 1940 the directory lists R G Selman at 2553 Wallace Crescent; the 1940 line is marked * too.

J F Selman, rooms to let, is listed at 1066 West 12th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James F Selman there as the householder, who kept rooms to let, with William R Selman. H E Selman is listed at 1595 West 14th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Henry E Selman there as the householder, retired.

Today

5612 Laburnum and 2553 Wallace Crescent still have their buildings from before 1946; 4583 Elgin (2016) and 1595 West 14th (1953) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3225 Point Grey Road and 1066 West 12th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

A woman and three children sitting in the long grass in the yard of 2890 Point Grey Road
About 1912 A woman and three children sitting in the long grass in the yard of 2890 Point Grey Road. Not at the house at 3225 Point Grey Road: no archive photo of the 3200 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Bu P113.3. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 13 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 Selmans

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Selman 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 S. Want a name removed? Tell us.