Vancouver / Names / W / Wilson / West 23rd Avenue

A family name on West 23rd Avenue, Dunbar-Southlands, Riley Park, South Cambie and Arbutus Ridge

The Wilsons

In the city directories 1940 · five people at two addresses

The directories print five people named Wilson at two addresses in 1940, all on West 23rd Avenue, with the close spelling Willson. 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 Wilsons at 928 West 23rd in 1940. The directories print the name on 224 other streets too, all listed on the Wilson 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 Wilsons 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

    173 West 23rd Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • H McN Wilson, a chipper foreman at the Vancouver Engineering Works 1940
    • G Irene Wilson, a saleswoman at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: M Crompton at 165 and R McK Henderson at 179. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    928 West 23rd Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • Mrs C Wilson, widow of R 1940
    • Frank Wilson, a clerk at the CPR 1940
    • Herbert Wilson 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Hardy at 940. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a chipper foreman, a clerk and a saleswoman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Riley Park and South Cambie. 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 McN Wilson at 173 West 23rd 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 Hugh McN Wilson there as the householder, a chipper foreman at the Vancouver Engineering Works, with G Irene Wilson, a saleswoman at Woodward's. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs C Wilson at 928 West 23rd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Clara Wilson there as the householder, widow of R, with Frank Wilson, a clerk at the CPR, and Herbert Wilson.

Today

173 West 23rd and 928 West 23rd still have their buildings from before 1946.

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 Wilsons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Wilson 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.