Vancouver / Names / W / Widmer

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Widmers

In the city directories 1940 · four people at two addresses

The directories print four people named Widmer at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Widmers at 2966 East 13th in 1940.

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 Widmers lived

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

    2966 East 13th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • E Widmer, a painter 1940
    • Clif H Widmer, a helper at the Pacific Foundry 1940
    • Frederick E Widmer, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: W B Langdon-Davies at 2920. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    813 Hamilton Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • R Widmer, of Sixth Avenue Grocery 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Connell at 811 and A Simonson at 815. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the four: a helper and a painter.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown 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 E Widmer at 2966 East 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 Edward Widmer there as the householder, a cook, with Edward V Widmer, a painter, Clif H Widmer, a helper at the Pacific Foundry, and Frederick E Widmer, a student. In 1940 the directory lists R Widmer at 813 Hamilton Street. The 1940 name section lists Reinhard Widmer there as the householder, of Sixth Avenue Grocery.

Today

The City no longer lists 2966 East 13th and 813 Hamilton, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 7 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 Widmers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Widmer 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 W. Want a name removed? Tell us.