Vancouver / Names / T / Towler

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Towlers

In the city directories 1940 · twelve people at twelve addresses

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

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Where the Towlers 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

    917 East 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs A E Towler, widow of C J 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Rogers at 901 and A MacDonald at 923. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    472 East 48th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • C E Towler, a sheet metal worker 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Looyen at 468 and C C Keyes at 476. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2521 Eton Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Mrs S A Towler, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Wyllie at 2519 and J B Swan at 2523. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2654 Eton Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • H Towler, a fireman at the City of Vancouver 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Rohla at 2612 and F W Trim at 2666. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1730 Franklin Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J W Towler, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: 6 listings at 1732. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1732 Franklin Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • E Towler, a packer at Cowan-Dodson 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W Towler at 1730 and M Okohori at 1756. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1176 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Arnold R Towler, a machinist at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: T Davis at 1168 and Peter Pan Cafe at 1180. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    837 Hamilton Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • C W Towler, an assistant department manager at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: A E Ashley at 831 and G Brooks at 843. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1773 Nelson Street

    West End, 1940

    • J F Towler, a police officer at the CPR 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Ironside at 1771. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    235 Templeton Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Marian Towler, widow of E W 1940

    Next door in 1940: W H Elson at 233. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    558 Victoria Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • E H Towler, a bookkeeper 1940

    Next door in 1940: N Emanuele at 554 and F D Hicks at 562. The block, door by door

  12. 12

    1677 West 7th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Thomas M Towler, a clerk at Northwestern Messenger 1940

    Next door in 1940: M E Filus at 1673 and Smith F C Litho Co at 1695. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the twelve: an assistant department manager, a bookkeeper, a clerk, a fireman, a laborer and a machinist, among others. Some worked for the same employer: two for Cowan-Dodson and two for CPR. Three are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland (4), Downtown (2), Hastings-Sunrise (2), Fairview, Mount Pleasant, Sunset and West End. 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 Mrs A E Towler at 917 East 11th 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 Annie E Towler there as the householder, widow of C J. In 1940 the directory lists C E Towler at 472 East 48th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Cecil E Towler there as the householder, a sheet metal worker.

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs S A Towler at 2521 Eton Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Sarah A Towler there as the householder, widow of J. In 1940 the directory lists H Towler at 2654 Eton Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Harold Towler there as the householder, a fireman at the City of Vancouver.

In 1940 the directory lists J W Towler at 1730 Franklin Street. The 1940 name section lists James W Towler there as the householder, a laborer. In 1940 the directory lists E Towler at 1732 Franklin Street. The 1940 name section lists Ernest Towler there as the householder, a packer at Cowan-Dodson.

The 1940 name section lists Arnold R Towler at 1176 Granville Street, a machinist at the CPR. C W Towler is listed at 837 Hamilton Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Charles W Towler there as the householder, an assistant department manager at Spencer's.

J F Towler is listed at 1773 Nelson Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists J Frederick Towler there as the householder, a police officer at the CPR. The 1940 name section lists Marian Towler at 235 Templeton Drive, widow of E W.

In 1940 the directory lists E H Towler at 558 Victoria Drive. The 1940 name section lists Edward H Towler there as the householder, a bookkeeper. The 1940 name section lists Thomas M Towler at 1677 West 7th Avenue, a clerk at Northwestern Messenger.

Today

2654 Eton and 1176 Granville still have their buildings from before 1946; 472 East 48th (1991), 2521 Eton (1978) and 837 Hamilton (1994) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 917 East 11th, 1730 Franklin, 1732 Franklin, 1773 Nelson, 235 Templeton Drive, 558 Victoria Drive and 1677 West 7th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 21 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 Towlers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Towler 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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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.