Vancouver / Names / W / Williams / Adanac Street

A family name on Adanac Street, Hastings-Sunrise, Strathcona and Grandview-Woodland

The Williamses

In the city directories 1940 · eleven people at five addresses

The directories print eleven people named Williams at five addresses in 1940, all on Adanac Street, with the close spelling Willams. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Williamses at 2439 Adanac in 1940. The directories print the name on 186 other streets too, all listed on the Williams 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 Williamses 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

    2248 Adanac Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J H Williams, a packer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Marshall at 2238 and F Taylor at 2256. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2439 Adanac Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Mrs A Williams 1940
    • Della Williams, a packer at Burns & Co 1940
    • Joseph Williams, a dairyman at National Dairies 1940
    • Peter Williams, an engineer 1940

    Next door in 1940: J T Gosline at 2431 and W Mylroie at 2455. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3445 Adanac Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • A Williams, a helper at the Burrard Dry Dock 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C Abernethy at 3441 and R E Brighton at 3461. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3535 Adanac Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Mrs A I Williams 1940
    • Ivor L Williams, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Workman at 3541. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    3605 Adanac Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • F Williams, a cement contractor 1940
    • Norman L Williams, a laborer 1940
    • William E Williams, a seaman 1940

    Next door in 1940: W G Pemberton at 3617. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the eleven: a laborer (2), a packer (2), a cement contractor, a dairyman, an engineer and a helper, among others.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Hastings-Sunrise (4) and Grandview-Woodland. 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 H Williams at 2248 Adanac 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 John H Williams there as the householder, a packer. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs A Williams at 2439 Adanac Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Annie Williams there as the householder, with Della Williams, a packer at Burns & Co, Joseph Williams, a dairyman at National Dairies, and Peter Williams, an engineer.

In 1940 the directory lists A Williams at 3445 Adanac Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Arthur Williams there as the householder, a helper at the Burrard Dry Dock. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs A I Williams at 3535 Adanac Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Mrs A Isabel Williams there as the householder, with Ivor L Williams, a laborer.

In 1940 the directory lists F Williams, a cement contractor, at 3605 Adanac Street. The 1940 name section lists Frank Williams there, a cement contractor, with Norman L Williams, a laborer, and William E Williams, a seaman.

Today

3605 Adanac still has its building from before 1946, dated 1921 by the City's record; 2248 Adanac (1999), 2439 Adanac (1979) and 3535 Adanac (1976) have newer buildings, by the City's record; for 3445 Adanac, its page says what we could and couldn't match to today's buildings.

Every line as printed

All 16 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 Williamses

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Williams 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.