Vancouver / Names / S / Smith / Nelson Street

A family name on Nelson Street, West End and Downtown

The Smiths

In the city directories 1940 · 18 people at 13 addresses

The directories print 18 people named Smith at 13 addresses in 1940, all on Nelson Street. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Smiths at 1510 Nelson in 1940. 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

    840 Nelson Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Arnold E Smith, a salesman for L J Speight 1940

    Next door in 1940: Oke & Duke at 808. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1049 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Frank G Smith, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: M C O'Brien at 1025. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1058 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • F C Smith, retired 1940
    • Philip S Smith, an elevator operator 1940

    Next door in 1940: Star Garage at 1042 and L E Collum at 1070. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1138 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Amy Smith, an operator at the BC Telephone 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss G Morton at 1132 and T W Pluto at 1144. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1147 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • A Smith, a boilermaker 1940
    • Robert M Smith, proprietor of Purity Meat Market 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Vassey at 1121 and J Middleton at 1155. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1245 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Dr B S Smith, a physician 1940

    Next door in 1940: queen anne gardens at 1235. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1415 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Nellie Smith, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: 8 listings at 1419. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1510 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • R L H Smith, a stockkeeper at the CPR 1940
    • Lawrence R Smith, a painter at the CPR 1940
    • Thomas Smith, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Fire Sta No 6 at 1500 and S C Hague at 1516. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1526 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • A S Smith, an engineer at Ford Motor 1940

    Next door in 1940: E W Kingston at 1542. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    1722 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Emil Smith 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs V K Britton at 1716 and P L Fletcher at 1726. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    1763 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • Jean Smith 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M L Magee at 1757 and Mrs J Ironside at 1771. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    1822 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W D Smith, a driver at the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Bolam at 1812 and Miss A Schimmer at 1826. The block, door by door

  13. 13

    2075 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • John Smith, retired 1940
    • Viola Smith, a maid for A P Allison 1940

What they did

The name section prints a trade for twelve of the 18: a boilermaker, a driver, an elevator operator, an engineer, a laborer and a maid, among others. Two of them worked for CPR. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (12) and Downtown. 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Arnold E Smith at 840 Nelson Street, a salesman for L J Speight. The 1940 name section lists Frank G Smith at 1049 Nelson Street, a laborer. In 1940 the directory lists F C Smith at 1058 Nelson Street. The 1940 name section lists Frederick C Smith there as the householder, retired, with Philip S Smith, an elevator operator.

The 1940 name section lists Amy Smith at 1138 Nelson Street, an operator at the BC Telephone. A Smith is listed at 1147 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alex Smith there as the householder, a boilermaker, with Robert M Smith, proprietor of Purity Meat Market.

Dr B S Smith is listed at 1245 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Bruce S Smith there as the householder, a physician. The 1940 name section lists Nellie Smith at 1415 Nelson Street, widow of J.

In 1940 the directory lists R L H Smith at 1510 Nelson Street; 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 lists Reginald L H Smith there as the householder, a stockkeeper at the CPR, with Lawrence R Smith, a painter at the CPR, and Thomas Smith, retired. The 1940 name section lists A S Smith at 1526 Nelson Street, an engineer at Ford Motor. The 1940 name section lists Emil Smith at 1722 Nelson Street.

The 1940 name section lists Jean Smith at 1763 Nelson Street. W D Smith is listed at 1822 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William D Smith there as the householder, a driver at the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association. The 1940 name section lists John Smith at 2075 Nelson Street as the householder, retired, with Viola Smith, a maid for A P Allison.

Today

1058 Nelson still has its building from before 1946, dated 1911 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1147 Nelson (1986), 1510 Nelson (1985) and 1763 Nelson (1983) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 840 Nelson, 1049 Nelson, 1138 Nelson, 1245 Nelson, 1415 Nelson, 1526 Nelson, 1722 Nelson, 1822 Nelson and 2075 Nelson, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges
About 1915 Nelson Street, a wide street of houses behind hedges. Not at the house at 1510 Nelson: no archive photo of the 1500 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P181.2. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 23 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

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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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.