A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Simonsons
In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses
The directories print two people named Simonson at two addresses in 1940 in Downtown. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: 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 Simonsons lived
- 1
815 Hamilton Street
Downtown, 1940
- A Simonson, a laborer 1940
Next door in 1940: R Widmer at 813 and S J Pearce at 817. The block, door by door
- 2
54 West Hastings Street
Downtown, 1940
- John Simonson, retired 1940
Next door in 1940: San Francisco Tailors at 52 and British Army Supp Store at 56. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for one of the two: a laborer.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown (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 A Simonson at 815 Hamilton Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Adolph Simonson there as the householder, a laborer. The 1940 name section lists John Simonson at 54 West Hastings Street, retired.
Today
The City no longer lists 815 Hamilton and 54 West Hastings, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 3 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Simonson A815 Hamilton, p. 70
- Simonson Adolph lab815 Hamilton, p. 561
- Simonson John retired54 West Hastings, p. 561
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Simonsons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Simonson 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 S. Want a name removed? Tell us.