Vancouver / Names / S / Smith / Helmcken Street

A family name on Helmcken Street, Downtown

The Smiths

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at four addresses

The directories print seven people named Smith at four addresses in 1940, all on Helmcken Street. 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

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

    439 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • J Smith, a laborer 1940
    • Dorothy M Smith, an operator at Gault Bros 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W Adlam at 435 and W Ferrier at 445. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    538 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • F Smith, a caretaker at Brooklyn Court 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Gedak at 520 and brooklyn court at 540. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    540 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Smith (no first name printed) 1940
    • Albert Smith, a chauffeur at Lotus Taxi 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Smith at 538 and E Schofield at 542. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    609 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • H W Smith, a gunsmith 1940
    • Richard D Smith, a wireless operator 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Marosi at 607 and P Solohub at 615. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the seven: a caretaker, a chauffeur, a gunsmith, a laborer, an operator and a wireless operator.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (4). 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 J Smith at 439 Helmcken Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists John Smith there as the householder, a laborer, with Dorothy M Smith, an operator at Gault Bros. In 1940 the directory lists F Smith at 538 Helmcken Street. The 1940 name section lists Frank Smith there as the householder, a caretaker at Brooklyn Court.

In 1940 the directory lists Smith (no first name printed) at 540 Helmcken Street. The 1940 name section lists Albert Smith there as the householder, a chauffeur at Lotus Taxi. In 1940 the directory lists H W Smith, a gunsmith, at 609 Helmcken Street. The 1940 name section lists Harold W Smith there as the householder, a gunsmith, with Richard D Smith, a wireless operator.

Today

439 Helmcken and 540 Helmcken still have their buildings from before 1946, both on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 538 Helmcken and 609 Helmcken, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 10 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 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.

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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.