Vancouver / Names / S / Smithers

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Smitherses

In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses

The directories print five people named Smithers at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

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 Smitherses 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

    847 Denman Street

    West End, 1940

    • Thomas Smithers 1940

    Next door in 1940: A E Knott at 821 and Melrose Farm Dairy at 851. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2939 Graveley Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • C W Smithers, a driver 1940

    Next door in 1940: P Paulson at 2933 and F T McElhoes at 2945. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1560 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • H C Smithers, a broker 1940
    • Lillian E Smithers, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J R Hardie at 1546. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    5816 Sophia Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • Mrs Emily Smithers 1940

    Next door in 1940: A S Ross at 5806 and W Booth at 5828. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the five: a broker and a driver.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (2), Hastings-Sunrise and Sunset. 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 Thomas Smithers at 847 Denman Street. C W Smithers is listed at 2939 Graveley Street in 1940; 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 Cecil W Smithers there as the householder, a driver.

H C Smithers is listed at 1560 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Harry C Smithers there as the householder, a broker, with Lillian E Smithers, a student. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Emily Smithers at 5816 Sophia Street.

Today

1560 Nelson still has its building from before 1946, dated 1929 by the City's record; 2939 Graveley (1993) and 5816 Sophia (1997) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 847 Denman, so that building is 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 1560 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 7 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 Smitherses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Smithers 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.