A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Vasses
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Vass at three 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 Vasses lived
- 1
4474 Commercial Street
Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940
- A Vass, a factory superintendent for E Lipsett 1940
Next door in 1940: M J L Macdonald at 4468 and E W Belfield at 4486. The block, door by door
- 2
5812 Dumfries Street
Victoria-Fraserview, 1940
- Timothy Vass, a stone cutter 1940
Next door in 1940: J Dalgarno at 5804 and R Henry at 5820. The block, door by door
- 3
3246 East 26th Avenue
Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940
- G Vass, a boilermaker 1940
Next door in 1940: T Hume at 3240. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all three: a boilermaker, a factory superintendent and a stone cutter.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Renfrew-Collingwood and Victoria-Fraserview. 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 A Vass at 4474 Commercial Street; 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 Alex Vass there as the householder, a factory superintendent for E Lipsett. The 1940 name section lists Timothy Vass at 5812 Dumfries Street as the householder, a stone cutter.
G Vass is listed at 3246 East 26th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Gladstone Vass there as the householder, a boilermaker.
Today
5812 Dumfries (1994) and 3246 East 26th (2018) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 4474 Commercial, 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.
- *Vass A4474 Commercial, p. 34
- Vass Alex fcty supt E Lipsett4474 Commercial, p. 632
- Vass Timothy stone ctr5812 Dumfries, p. 632
- *Vass G3246 East 26th, p. 240
- Vass Gladstone blrmkr3246 East 26th, p. 632
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Vasses
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Vass 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.
We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.
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.