A family name on West 17th Avenue, South Cambie, Riley Park, Shaughnessy, Arbutus Ridge and Dunbar-Southlands
The Watsons
In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses
The directories print three people named Watson at three addresses in 1940, all on West 17th Avenue. No first name or initials tie one address to another: 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
- 1
71 West 17th Avenue
Riley Park, 1940
- J M Watson, a salesman at the Hudson's Bay Company 1940
Next door in 1940: G D Cruickshank at 65 and Mrs G L Jackson at 79. The block, door by door
- 2
560 West 17th Avenue
South Cambie, 1940
- E P Watson, a clerk at the City of Vancouver 1940
Next door in 1940: C C Rushton at 558 and Mrs K Johnson at 564. The block, door by door
- 3
996 West 17th Avenue
South Cambie, 1940
- David Watson, a carpenter 1940
Next door in 1940: N Arenson at 990. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all three: a carpenter, a clerk and a salesman.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in South Cambie (2) and Riley Park. 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 J M Watson at 71 West 17th 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 J Math Watson there as the householder, a salesman at the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1940 the directory lists E P Watson at 560 West 17th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Edward P Watson there as the householder, a clerk at the City of Vancouver.
The 1940 name section lists David Watson at 996 West 17th Avenue, a carpenter.
Today
71 West 17th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1911 by the City's record; 560 West 17th (2021) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 996 West 17th, 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.
- *Watson J M71 West 17th, p. 224
- Watson J Math slsmn HBC71 West 17th, p. 644
- Watson E P560 West 17th, p. 225
- Watson Edw P clk Van City560 West 17th, p. 644
- Watson David carp996 West 17th, p. 644
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
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.
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.