Vancouver / Names / S / Simpson / West 37th Avenue

A family name on West 37th Avenue, Dunbar-Southlands, Shaughnessy and Arbutus Ridge

The Simpsons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at two addresses

The directories print six people named Simpson at two addresses in 1940, all on West 37th Avenue. 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: three Simpsons at 3270 West 37th in 1940. The directories print the name on 119 other streets too, all listed on the Simpson name's own page.

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 Simpsons 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

    3270 West 37th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • W O Simpson, a salesman at the Hudson's Bay Company 1940
    • Harry D Simpson, a clerk at the BC Government 1940
    • Irene H Simpson, a stenographer at National Life Assce 1940

    Next door in 1940: F W Parkin at 3250 and E D Armstrong at 3288. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    3478 West 37th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • H D Simpson, an architect at the BC Telephone 1940
    • Elspeth J Simpson, an operator at the BC Telephone 1940
    • Winifred M Simpson 1940

    Next door in 1940: G D McLean at 3464 and H Jones at 3492. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the six: an architect, a clerk, an operator, a salesman and a stenographer. Two of them worked for BC Telephone.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands (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 W O Simpson at 3270 West 37th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William O Simpson there as the householder, a salesman at the Hudson's Bay Company, with Harry D Simpson, a clerk at the BC Government, and Irene H Simpson, a stenographer at National Life Assce. In 1940 the directory lists H D Simpson at 3478 West 37th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Hugh D Simpson there as the householder, an architect at the BC Telephone, with Elspeth J Simpson, an operator at the BC Telephone, and Winifred M Simpson.

Today

3478 West 37th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1925 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3270 West 37th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Simpsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Simpson 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.