Vancouver Chinatown map, 1889This is a fire insurance map of the area bounded by Carrall, East Hasti

Vancouver Chinatown map, 1889

This is a fire insurance map of the area bounded by Carrall, East Hastings, Main Street (Westminster Avenue), and East Georgia (Harris). Dupont is the two blocks of Pender between Carrall and Main, and was the city’s first red light district. Note that False Creek came almost up to Pender at Columbia. 

Urban historians love fire insurance maps because they contain a ton of information intended to help assess the risk of fire. In this case, we can see that this area contained primarily dwellings (DWG), tenement housing, Chinese laundries, houses of ill fame (ie, brothels; note one is labelled “Negro Ill Fame”), saloons, and at least one opium factory (conveniently located beside the Opera Resort Saloon), along with other industrial sites. Click here to browse the full, high rez map.

Source: City of Vancouver Archives # LEG1319.481