A family name on West Hastings Street, Downtown
The Swansons
In the city directories 1940 · four people at two addresses
The directories print four people named Swanson at two addresses in 1940, all on West Hastings Street, with the close spelling Swainson. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Swansons at 1201 West Hastings in 1940. The directories print the name on 50 other streets too, all listed on the Swanson 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 Swansons lived
- 1
74 West Hastings Street
Downtown, 1940
- Ernest Swanson, a millworker 1940
Next door in 1940: Fred's Lunch at 72 and Ray Bros Tailoring at 80. The block, door by door
- 2
1201 West Hastings Street
Downtown, 1940
- Mrs M Swanson 1940
- Allan G Swanson, an apprentice at the Vancouver Parks Board 1940
- Elizabeth D Swanson, a packer at Spencer's 1940
Next door in 1940: Logging Allison at 1225. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for three of the four: an apprentice, a millworker and a packer.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Downtown (2). 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 Ernest Swanson at 74 West Hastings Street, a millworker. Mrs M Swanson is listed at 1201 West Hastings Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Margaret Swanson there as the householder, with Allan G Swanson, an apprentice at the Vancouver Parks Board, and Elizabeth D Swanson, a packer at Spencer's.
Today
74 West Hastings still has its building from before 1946, dated 1909 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1201 West Hastings, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 5 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- Swanson Ernest mlwkr74 West Hastings, p. 598
- Swanson Mrs M1201 West Hastings, p. 81
- Swanson Allan G appr Van Pks Bd1201 West Hastings, p. 598
- Swanson Eliz D pkr Spencers1201 West Hastings, p. 598
- Swanson Mrs Margt1201 West Hastings, p. 598
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed
The book of the Swansons
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Swanson 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.