Vancouver / Names / V / Van

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Vans

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at nine addresses

The directories print ten people named Van at nine addresses in 1940 in six of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Vann. 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 Vans lived

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

    628 Broughton Street

    West End, 1940

    • J Vann, a longshoreman 1940
  2. 2

    6228 Chester Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • Mrs M S Van 1940
    • Herbert W Van, a cement worker for W Sanderson 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M M Bryson at 6216. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1178 Denman Street

    West End, 1940

    • W A Van, proprietor of Bay View Variety 1940

    Next door in 1940: H F Storry at 1174 and H L Woodard at 1180. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1760 East 2nd Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • W F Vann 1940

    Next door in 1940: G R McKay at 1758 and W Worth at 1772. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1602 East 6th Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • H F Van, a salesman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Lamountaine at 1606. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    786 East King Edward Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • John A Vann, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C B Mawdsley at 766. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    403 Powell Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • J Vann 1940

    Next door in 1940: Can Seafarers Assn at 405. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    520 Richards Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • F J Vann 1940

    Next door in 1940: M G Gordon at 518 and Kingsley Rooms at 522. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    1972 Robson Street

    West End, 1940

    • W Van, a manager at West Coast Agencies 1940

    Next door in 1940: J B W Green at 1960. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the ten: a cement worker, a longshoreman, a manager, an on active service, a proprietor and a salesman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (3), Grandview-Woodland (2), Downtown, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Strathcona and Sunset. 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 J Vann at 628 Broughton Street, a longshoreman. Mrs M S Van is listed at 6228 Chester 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 Herbert W Van there, a cement worker for W Sanderson.

W A Van is listed at 1178 Denman Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William A Van there as the householder, proprietor of Bay View Variety. W F Vann is listed at 1760 East 2nd Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William F Vann there as the householder.

H F Van is listed at 1602 East 6th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Herbert F Van there as the householder, a salesman. The 1940 name section lists John A Vann at 786 East King Edward Avenue, on active service. The 1940 name section lists J Vann at 403 Powell Street.

The 1940 name section lists F J Vann at 520 Richards Street. In 1940 the directory lists W Van at 1972 Robson Street. The 1940 name section lists William Van there as the householder, a manager at West Coast Agencies.

Today

1760 East 2nd and 786 East King Edward still have their buildings from before 1946, 786 East King Edward on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 6228 Chester (1996), 1602 East 6th (1978), 403 Powell (1947) and 1972 Robson (1953) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 628 Broughton, 1178 Denman and 520 Richards, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 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 Vans

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Van 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 V. Want a name removed? Tell us.