Vancouver / Names / S / Smith / Howe Street

A family name on Howe Street, Downtown

The Smiths

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Smith at six addresses in 1940, all on Howe 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

    522 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • J N Smith, in auto repairs 1940

    Next door in 1940: Snappy Clnrs at 520 and Office Specialty Mfg Co at 536. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    660 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • N L Smith, a garage 1940

    Next door in 1940: Crawford & Co Ltd at 650 and inns of court bldg at 678. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    937 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs M Smith 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs B A Vigneron at 935 and L A Alexander at 943. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1148 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • W G Smith, a waiter at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: G Gunderson at 1146 and End Carpenters West at 1150. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1166 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • F T Smith, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss E J Webster at 1158 and J Cocker at 1170. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1442 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs H L Smith, widow of J R 1940
    • Jack A Smith, a waiter at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: Uphol Clnrs & Dyers at 1420 and W C Rhodes at 1448. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the seven: a waiter (2) and a laborer. Two of them worked for CPR. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (6). 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 N Smith, in auto repairs, at 522 Howe Street. N L Smith, a garage, is listed at 660 Howe Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M Smith at 937 Howe Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mrs Mabel Smith there as the householder.

The 1940 name section lists W G Smith at 1148 Howe Street, a waiter at the CPR. F T Smith is listed at 1166 Howe Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Francis T Smith there, a laborer.

Mrs H L Smith is listed at 1442 Howe Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Henrietta L Smith there as the householder, widow of J R, with Jack A Smith, a waiter at the CPR.

Today

The City no longer lists 522 Howe, 660 Howe, 937 Howe, 1148 Howe, 1166 Howe and 1442 Howe, 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.

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.