Central Office Names

[jsowers]

Man, this post knocked some cobwebs loose in my head.  I recall, for whatever reason, the telephone number we had when I was a little kid growing up in a pothole agricultural community outside Bakersfield, CA.  It was EM-63101.  I always thought the EM stood for "empire," but can't be sure of that.

I also recall we were on a party line.  To call someone else on your line, you would dial their number and hang up your receiver.  Your phone would begin to ring.  When it stopped, that meant the party you called had answered.  At least that's how I remember it, but at 72 things can get a little misty.   

The Library of Congress online has a 1959-60 Bakersfield directory and it says EM=EMpire. 

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.usteledirec01908/?sp=13&st=image&r=0.542,0.295,0.355,0.186,0

I'm 66 and also from a small farming community, but in NC. It still is--you should see the tractors up and down my road at harvest time. I remember our party line very clearly. It was an independent telco and all the phones used frequency ringers. We had to dial 1543 to call my grandmother next door and she had to dial 1534 to call us, both of us having to wait for the phone to stop ringing before we picked up. We had that party line until they did away with them about 1980. Our prefix was REgent 1. 

A clip from that directory below. 

[loblolly986]

I didn't know the Library of Congress had made so many directories viewable online. Thanks for the link.