Vancouver / Names / W / Witman

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Witmans

In the city directories 1940 · four people at three addresses

The directories print four people named Witman at three addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Wittman. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

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 Witmans 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

    1055 East 17th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J Witman 1940
    • Lorna Wittman 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C J Turner at 1045. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    820 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Hans Wittman, a junk dealer 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Peter at 832. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1170 Howe Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • H Wittman, in junk 1940

    Next door in 1940: F T Smith at 1166 and Miss M Semenuik at 1172. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for one of the four: a junk dealer railwayman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2) 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 J Witman at 1055 East 17th Avenue. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Joseph Wittman there as the householder, with Lorna Wittman. The 1940 name section lists Hans Wittman at 820 Helmcken Street, a junk dealer. H Wittman, in junk, is listed at 1170 Howe Street in 1940.

Today

1055 East 17th (1985) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 820 Helmcken and 1170 Howe, so those buildings are 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.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Witmans

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Witman 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.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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.