A family name on East 55th Avenue, Sunset and Victoria-Fraserview
The Smiths
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Smith at three addresses in 1940, all on East 55th Avenue. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 305 other streets too, all listed on the Smith 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 Smiths lived
- 1
545 East 55th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- D Smith, an engineer 1940
Next door in 1940: R H Hollis at 505 and A Enefer at 565. The block, door by door
- 2
596 East 55th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- Anne Smith, widow of D 1940
Next door in 1940: W T Lamb at 580. The block, door by door
- 3
1066 East 55th Avenue
Sunset, 1940
- W B Smith, a clerk at Spencer's 1940
Next door in 1940: J W Shackleton at 1060 and R A Harper at 1072. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for two of the three: a clerk and an engineer. One is a widow, listed under her own name.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Sunset (3). 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 D Smith at 545 East 55th Avenue; 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 David Smith there as the householder, an engineer. The 1940 name section lists Anne Smith at 596 East 55th Avenue, widow of D.
W B Smith is listed at 1066 East 55th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Willard B Smith there as the householder, a clerk at Spencer's.
Today
596 East 55th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record; 545 East 55th (1964) and 1066 East 55th (1961) have newer buildings, by the City's record.
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *Smith D545 East 55th, p. 268
- Smith David eng545 East 55th, p. 568
- Smith Anne wid D596 East 55th, p. 567
- Smith W B1066 East 55th, p. 268
- Smith Willard B clk Spencer's1066 East 55th, p. 573
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Smiths
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Smith 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.