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Central Office Names

Started by poplar1, May 14, 2013, 07:52:52 PM

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xhausted110

Back on the subject of exchange names, here's an advertisement card from Chicago for a phone booth. Interesting that the police and fire departments had their own exchanges. Also note that this is from before DDD or TSPS, "long distance- 211"
- Evan

unbeldi

I believe the following came from a cover of a Chicago telephone phone book, I don't have the original source.

1959 Chicago's Exchange Names



jsowers

Notice how they're called "exchange names" and not central office names.

Chicago had some unique ones like New York City. The list is very nice to see. I don't think I had ever heard of INterocean 8 before. I remember HAymarket 1 from the cover of the 1956 Allied Electronics Catalog I have.

They devoted one name for fire and another for police, in those days before 911, and 1313 were the last four digits for both. I wonder how they came up with that, and not 1111 or 1212 or 2368?
Jonathan

unbeldi

#33
I thought that would tickle a bone,  :o
Yes, Chicago seems to not have followed the directives from the Central Office at West Street or Broadway, NYC, or thereabouts.

I also have another list of the Chicago exchanges from another telephone book and that page is also entitled with the term 'exchange'.

Starting with the design documents of the North American Numbering Plan in the mid 1940s, the official documents adopted the term 'central office' pretty consistently.  Out in the 'territories' this was not always so.

Interestingly, I recall reading some article that explained that the first telephone exchange in Chicago in ca. 1880, was called the Central Office.  When the next two exchanges opened they were referred to as Branches. Within a short time due to rapid growth, they were soon all simply numbered.





Mr. Bones

Quote from: unbeldi on May 07, 2016, 06:41:00 PM
I also have another list of the Chicago exchanges from another telephone book and that page is also entitled with the term 'exchange'.

I think that we would all love to see that, if you'd be so kind as to share a scan, photo, usw. 8)

Many thanks, in advance, Karl!

Best regards!
Sláinte!
   Mr. Bones
      Rubricollis Ferus

unbeldi

#35
Quote from: Mr. Bones on May 07, 2016, 07:23:31 PM
I think that we would all love to see that, if you'd be so kind as to share a scan, photo, usw. 8)

Many thanks, in advance, Karl!

Best regards!


Here it is.  The quality is rather poor.  But with some effort it can be useful too.
It is quite possible that this page came out of the same phone book, but I don't know.  Certainly it is approximately the same time frame.

I also found the article I was referring to earlier:
William D. Caughlin, Evolution of Local Telephone Numbers in Chicago,  2004-02-27

unbeldi

#36
I have a 1942 telephone directory from nearby Naperville, just west of Chicago, and the directory uses the term 'central office'.  It was issued by Ill.Bell.Tel.Co.

It appears that Naperville had a manual system at the time.  All numbers are simply prefixed with the name Naperville, and many carry party line suffix letters.

From the page 'Regulations':

Telephone Numbers.—The subscriber has no property
right in the telephone number or any right to continuance
of service through any particular central office.
The Telephone Company may change the telephone
number or the central office designation, or both, of
a subscriber whenever it deems it desirable in the
conduct of its business so to do.

DaveCook

Quote from: jsowers on May 20, 2013, 03:28:22 PM
Also, here are the New York City exchanges from 1951, from something I posted a while back. If you scroll up, you will see New Jersey too, also from 1951.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5886.msg70654#msg70654

This includes what may be my favorite exchange of all time, just because it's so obscure. SChuyler 4. Most people would want to spell that with SK instead of SC. I have a 202 with a SChuyler 4 number card (see below). I'm fairly sure it's pronounced "skyler" and not "shuler."

The 1957 I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Gets Chummy with the Neighbors" confirms your pronunciation, Jonathan. When Lucy calls Ethel for help (after spending much more on new furniture that Ricky had budgeted for), she picks up the phone, dials 0, and says, "Operator, may I have SChuyler 4 8098, New York City, please." That SChuyler 4 (724) telephone exchange, as it happens, is different from the MUrray Hill 5 and CIrcle 7 exchanges of Lucy and Ricky's former telephone numbers, even though the Ricardos and the Mertzes lived in the same apartment building.
Dave Cook

Babybearjs

I would love to get the original CO names for Boise, ID. currently I have the ES7 prefix (ESsex7), if that's the right name...  and the area has been populated since the 1950's. it would be neat to see the list for Boise, if it exists. since the area dates back to the 1950's, its possible that the list expired before the phone service was established in this part if Boise...
John

5415551212

Quote from: Babybearjs on March 12, 2022, 01:12:15 AMI would love to get the original CO names for Boise, ID. currently I have the ES7 prefix (ESsex7), if that's the right name...  and the area has been populated since the 1950's. it would be neat to see the list for Boise, if it exists. since the area dates back to the 1950's, its possible that the list expired before the phone service was established in this part if Boise...
I bet the university of Idaho might have some old phone books in their Library archives.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Babybearjs on March 12, 2022, 01:12:15 AMI would love to get the original CO names for Boise, ID. currently I have the ES7 prefix (ESsex7), if that's the right name...  and the area has been populated since the 1950's. it would be neat to see the list for Boise, if it exists. since the area dates back to the 1950's, its possible that the list expired before the phone service was established in this part if Boise...

Here  is a list of Bell System suggested exchange names.
https://puzzles.mit.edu/2012/puzzles/phantom_of_the_operator/solution/Telephone_EXchange_Names.html


Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

SUnset2

Jim,
The list you posted the link to was used as recommendations for new exchanges.  Older exchanges were often named for local landmarks, and are not on that list.
Finding old telephone directories is the best way to know for sure.  Public libraries often have sets of them.

MMikeJBenN27

Maybe now, with trends so important, bringing back exchange names might get more people to keep their home phones.

Mike