Vancouver / Names / V / Van Allen

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Van Allens

In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses

The directories print four people named Van Allen 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.

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 Van Allens 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

    4133 West 13th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • H M Van Allen, a switch board man at the BC Telephone 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Dunlop at 4125 and L T Gear at 4137. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    4367 West 13th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • Alex M Van Allen, a student 1940
    • Flora B Van Allen, widow of H 1940

    Next door in 1940: R C A Eyre at 4363 and Mrs H Clarke at 4371. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3350 West 3rd Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mary Van Allen, widow of F W 1940

    Next door in 1940: W C Glenesk at 3344. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for one of the four: a switch board man. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West Point Grey (2) and Kitsilano. 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 M Van Allen at 4133 West 13th 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 Harry M Van Allen there as the householder, a switch board man at the BC Telephone. The 1940 name section lists Alex M Van Allen at 4367 West 13th Avenue, a student, with Flora B Van Allen, widow of H. The 1940 name section lists Mary Van Allen at 3350 West 3rd Avenue, widow of F W.

Today

4133 West 13th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1928 by the City's record; 4367 West 13th (2013) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3350 West 3rd, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 5 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 Van Allens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Van Allen 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.