Vancouver / Names / T / Thomson / West 20th Avenue

A family name on West 20th Avenue, Dunbar-Southlands, Riley Park, South Cambie, Shaughnessy and Arbutus Ridge

The Thomsons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses

The directories print four people named Thomson at three addresses in 1940, all on West 20th Avenue, with the close spellings Thomason and Thomasson. 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 119 other streets too, all listed on the Thomson 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 Thomsons 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

    639 West 20th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • J Thomson, a clerk at Hayes Manufacturing 1940

    Next door in 1940: W J Mills at 629 and W Thomson at 645. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    645 West 20th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • W Thomson, a gardener for Mrs M E Stewart 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Thomson at 639 and E Street at 653. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    737 West 20th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • J C Thomson, a sales manager at Associated Dairies 1940
    • Jean M Thomson, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Philip at 729 and E M Marshall at 753. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the four: a clerk, a gardener and a sales manager.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in South Cambie (3). 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 Thomson at 639 West 20th Avenue; 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, where each person's work is printed, lists James Thomson there as the householder, a salesman at Canadian Bakeries, with James Thomson Jr, a clerk at Hayes Manufacturing. In 1940 the directory lists W Thomson at 645 West 20th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William Thomson there as the householder, a gardener for Mrs M E Stewart.

In 1940 the directory lists J C Thomson at 737 West 20th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James C Thomson there as the householder, a sales manager at Associated Dairies, with Jean M Thomson, a student.

Today

639 West 20th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; 737 West 20th (1990) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 645 West 20th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Thomsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thomson 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 T. Want a name removed? Tell us.