EXchange names for phone numbers

[Jay]

I thought some of you might like this-http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

I don't know if any of you knew about already or what, but I thought it was kinda cool.

 

[Mr. 'H']

Excellent find, I've been interested in this as I come accross these codes when they're mentioned in old books and movies.

Well done!

 

[Jay]

Hey! its no problem. I always had a curiosity about them, too.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Gee, thanks for making me feel ancient!
Growing up in the 1970's in Philadelphia, these were in full effect. My grandparent's phone number was NE7-7842 or North East 7... and other numbers I remember were Greenwood 7-5342 in a televison commercial.

Now, can anyone remember picking up the receiver and asking the operator to connect you?

 

[varga49]

I remember...

being on a party line in San Antonio as a kid. Also when living in deep S.Texas ion the 70's

 

[The Wingnut]

Holy carp.

I just got a Western Electric 302 from my father for Christmas. Prompted by the number disc in the dial(EMpire 4919), I guessed that my number would have been UNion 9-9312. Didn't think much of it(for at least a week) until I looked at this post.

I plugged 'Union' into that site's database and came up with my home town. I tried EMpire, knowing the phone came from Oregon, and it came up with Portland. That's how good it is, folks!

 

[Michaelson]

We were on a party line of 5 families in the 50's in my home town. Our number was Elwood 4-2321. I still remember it to this day! My wife grew up across the river, and her's was Yellowstone.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[Big Man]

Our number was Hemlock 7 - 2060 (most times called just "HE7"). I can vaguely remember when the number was just 4 digits. It was really cool when the "Hemlock 7" part was added.

 

[John in Covina]

Exchange Names

Nat Sherman had a line of cigars named after the famous NYC exchanges.

"Call Northside 777" is a moive with an exchange name in it.
In NYC were the TV ad for Gimbels re-upolstering had an exhange that was the jingle something like Jutson 6-6300. I remember another commercial where the phone number was Murray Hill 7- something something something something. We lived on the west side of Copiague close to Amityville and our home phone was AM4-XXXX for AMityville 4-xxxx. Most of the rest of the town started with MY-1. The phone number for Dad's work started with LYnbrook.

In old movies people would have to call the operator for some reason, like calling out of a hotel. "Operator I want AVery 3- 500, please. And keep ringing until it gets thru."

 

[Mr. Rover]

Pennsylvania 6-5000 is on playing on m playlist right now.

 

[Twitch]

In 1950s St. Louis it was common and less expensive to have a party line. I don't know the maximum there could be but I think we probably shared the line with only one other residence.

 

[Dr. Shocker]

I love the list...but since I only have a cell the 90 isn't on any of the list

 

[Jay]

I was also infuriated at this. Both home and cellphone numbers dont check out. Theres always more phone numbers in the future, though.

 

[Scuffy]

When I was little there was a commercial that dominated the ad blocks on tv. I don't remember what it was for though- for some reason I think it was either for a carpet place or an insurance company. Anyway, regardless, I still remember there little jingle that they'd sing at the end that consisted of their commercial. It was "Garfield1- 2323" (Garfield one, two three, two three). I never understood that until today. It was in use into the late 80's or maybe the earliest of the 90's up here near Cleveland.

Fun stuff! Great link!!

 

[The Wolf]

I had to make my own prefix

My phone number starts with a 573 but they didn't use 57 for public numbers. I decided to make it KRakatoa 3-. It has a good rhythm and sounded period to me.

The Wolf
KLondike5-5555

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I remember that too,....

When I was little there was a commercial that dominated the ad blocks on tv. I don't remember what it was for though- for some reason I think it was either for a carpet place or an insurance company. Anyway, regardless, I still remember there little jingle that they'd sing at the end that consisted of their commercial. It was "Garfield1- 2323" (Garfield one, two three, two three). I never understood that until today. It was in use into the late 80's or maybe the earliest of the 90's up here near Cleveland.

Fun stuff! Great link!!

It was some cat selling aluminum siding.

 

[Orion]

Garfield-1 2323

Scuffy: Garfield 1 2323 was for - if I'm not mistaken - an aluminum siding or gutter company; I can't remember which. But yes, it was a catchy jingle that I remember growing up, east of Cleveland. I put that to good use later...

When I went off to college on the other side of the state, I used it to discover who else was from northeast Ohio. When in a room full of other college students, I'd spontaneously sing "GARFIELD ONE" and stop. Invariably, someone would sing back "TWO THREE TWO THREE". It was almost as good as a secret handshake. Everyone else just looked confused

Probably only works on we children of the early 80s...

 

[Mojave Jack]

Telephone Exchanges

Anybody know if there was a standardized list of words for telephone exchanges from the 20s, 30s, and 40s? I'm talking about the DOrchester 5-5902, type of exchanges. It seems like they were made up in each area, but I can't really tell. Not that it's particularly useful, since if you gave your number out that way you'd just get a blank stare, but what the heck?!

 

[magneto]

I think someone brought up this site before, it's:
http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html
Not complete, but pretty good.

~Magneto (FRanklin 4-7...)

In my neighborhood there're 2 businesses w/signs reading the old exchange number...need a camera...

 

[Twitch]

I grew up In St. Louis and as late as 1967-68 they were still using the old name/number combo system.