A family name on West 47th Avenue, Kerrisdale, Oakridge and Dunbar-Southlands
The Willises
In the city directories 1940 · two people at two addresses
The directories print two people named Willis at two addresses in 1940, all on West 47th Avenue. 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 36 other streets too, all listed on the Willis 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 Willises lived
- 1
1444 West 47th Avenue
Oakridge, 1940
- S T Willis, a president at the Willis College of Business 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs A A Crowder at 1432 and W R C Patrick at 1456. The block, door by door
- 2
2040 West 47th Avenue
Kerrisdale, 1940
- C H Willis, a chemist at Home Oil 1940
Next door in 1940: E C Williams at 2034 and H G Phillips at 2046. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all two: a chemist and a president.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Kerrisdale and Oakridge. 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 S T Willis at 1444 West 47th 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 Steph T Willis there as the householder, a president at the Willis College of Business. In 1940 the directory lists C H Willis at 2040 West 47th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Clarence H Willis there as the householder, a chemist at Home Oil.
Today
2040 West 47th (2011) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1444 West 47th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).
Every line as printed
All 4 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *Willis S T1444 West 47th, p. 264
- Willis Steph T pres Willis Coll of Bus1444 West 47th, p. 664
- Willis C H2040 West 47th, p. 264
- Willis Clarence H chemist Home Oil2040 West 47th, p. 664
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Willises
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Willis 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.