Vancouver / Names / T / Towne

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Townes

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Towne at four addresses in 1940 in three 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 Townes lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    644 Bute Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Bert Towne 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Docksteader at 690. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    6029 Hudson Street

    Oakridge, 1940

    • A J Towne, a dentist 1940

    Next door in 1940: E J Jardine at 6009 and R McDonald at 6049. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1396 Kingsway

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A J Towne, a dentist 1940

    Next door in 1940: V R Everett at 1394 and H Eldridge at 1398. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    518 Smithe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • P Towne, a fisherman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Workshop Aladdin at 516 and R Scott at 520. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the four: a dentist and a fisherman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Kensington-Cedar Cottage and Oakridge. 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 Bert Towne at 644 Bute Street. A J Towne is listed at 6029 Hudson Street in 1940; 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 lists Alfred J Towne there as the householder, a dentist. A J Towne, a dentist, is listed at 1396 Kingsway in 1940.

In 1940 the directory lists P Towne at 518 Smithe Street. The 1940 name section lists Paul Towne there as the householder, a fisherman.

Today

6029 Hudson (2017) and 518 Smithe (2007) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 644 Bute and 1396 Kingsway, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Hudson Street looking south toward the Eburne station, past the Hotel Eburne and parked cars
The 1910s Hudson Street looking south toward the Eburne station, past the Hotel Eburne and parked cars. Not at the house at 6029 Hudson: no archive photo of the 6000 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, LGN 994. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 6 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Townes

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Towne 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.