Vancouver / Names / T / Thorsen

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Thorsens

In the city directories 1940 · six people at six addresses

The directories print six people named Thorsen at six addresses in 1940 in six 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 Thorsens 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

    1438 Devonshire Crescent

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • H Thorsen 1940

    Next door in 1940: Dr W W Kennedy at 1462. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1808 East 36th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Mrs I Thorsen, widow of S 1940

    Next door in 1940: I Forsell at 1828. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    862 East 8th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • A E Thorsen, a welder 1940

    Next door in 1940: P F Piper at 856 and S B Hansen at 868. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    8006 Fraser Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • Mrs M J Thorsen, widow of W 1940
  5. 5

    1565 Tolmie Street

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • Florence Thorsen, a housekeeper for Delta Upsilon 1940
  6. 6

    2575 West 8th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • P S Thorsen, a secretary at the YMCA 1940

    Next door in 1940: L G Warwick at 2565 and M H Bracey at 2585. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the six: a housekeeper, a secretary and a welder. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Shaughnessy, Sunset and West Point Grey. 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 H Thorsen at 1438 Devonshire Crescent; the 1940 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). Mrs I Thorsen is listed at 1808 East 36th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Ingiborg Thorsen there as the householder, widow of S.

A E Thorsen is listed at 862 East 8th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Arthur E Thorsen there as the householder, a welder. Mrs M J Thorsen is listed at 8006 Fraser Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Maria J Thorsen there as the householder, widow of W.

The 1940 name section lists Florence Thorsen at 1565 Tolmie Street, a housekeeper for Delta Upsilon. In 1940 the directory lists P S Thorsen at 2575 West 8th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Per S Thorsen there as the householder, a secretary at the YMCA.

Today

1565 Tolmie still has its building from before 1946, dated 1931 by the City's record; 1438 Devonshire Crescent (2009), 1808 East 36th (1973), 8006 Fraser (2001) and 2575 West 8th (1997) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 862 East 8th, so that building is 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 Thorsens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thorsen 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.