Vancouver / Names / T / Thorson

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Thorsons

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at three addresses

The directories print seven people named Thorson at three addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: five Thorsons at 1784 East 34th in 1940.

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 Thorsons 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

    2103 East 30th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • G Thorson, a miner 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E E Bennett at 2111. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1784 East 34th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • H J Thorson, a carpenter 1940
    • Emil Thorson, a student at UBC 1940
    • Leonard J Thorson, a school teacher 1940
    • Mary I Thorson, a school teacher 1940
    • Victor Thorson, a student at UBC 1940

    Next door in 1940: A G Howes at 1780 and E G Hillyer at 1796. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3588 West 28th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • Leora Thorsson, a maid for C Vroman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W C Hall at 3578 and J G Donnelly at 3596. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a school teacher (2), a carpenter, a maid and a miner. Two of them worked for UBC.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2) and Dunbar-Southlands. 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 G Thorson at 2103 East 30th 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 George Thorson there as the householder, a miner. In 1940 the directory lists H J Thorson at 1784 East 34th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Haxt J Thorson there as the householder, a carpenter, with Emil Thorson, a student at UBC, Leonard J Thorson, a school teacher, Mary I Thorson, a school teacher, and Victor Thorson, a student at UBC.

The 1940 name section lists Leora Thorsson at 3588 West 28th Avenue, a maid for C Vroman.

Today

1784 East 34th and 3588 West 28th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2103 East 30th (1984) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Thorsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thorson 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.