Vancouver / Names / W / Watson / Commercial Drive

A family name on Commercial Drive, Grandview-Woodland and Kensington-Cedar Cottage

The Watsons

In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses

The directories print two people named Watson at two addresses in 1940, all on Commercial Drive. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 145 other streets too, all listed on the Watson name's own page.

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 Watsons 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

    1746 Commercial Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • H L Watson 1940

    Next door in 1940: Grandview Furn at 1740 and C Ahone at 1748. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2607 Commercial Drive

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • G C Watson 1940

    Next door in 1940: W H Fasridge at 2605 and C R Lewis at 2615. The block, door by door

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland and Kensington-Cedar Cottage. 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 L Watson at 1746 Commercial Drive. G C Watson is listed at 2607 Commercial Drive in 1940.

Today

1746 Commercial Drive still has its building from before 1946, dated 1910 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2607 Commercial Drive, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

A No. 4 streetcar and traffic on Commercial Drive at 2nd Avenue, looking north along the 1700 block
1927 A No. 4 streetcar and traffic on Commercial Drive at 2nd Avenue, looking north along the 1700 block. Taken on the 1700 block; it doesn't single out the house at 1746 Commercial Drive. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 105-1. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 2 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.

The book of the Watsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Watson 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.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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 W. Want a name removed? Tell us.