When I was a child I lived in San Bernardino, California from 1966 to 1969. I can still remember my home telephone number: TUrner 5-2176, sometimes abbreviated as TU 5-2176. My grandparents’ telephone number was TU 3-5155.
If I wanted to call my grandparents, since we both lived in the TUrner area, I only had to dial 3-5155. But if I called someone outside the TUrner area, I had to include the two letters, for example, to call someone at UNion 4-7721 I had to dial 864-7721.
So what or who was TUrner?
The Central Office
Prior to 1955, many people had been using exchange names that were not included in the official list and they were not required to change them. For example, I remember advertisements on television urging me to call RIchmond 9-5171 to go see Championship Wrestling at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. The official exchange names were PIlgrim, PIoneer, RIverside, RIverview, SHadyside, and SHerwood.
The National Numbering Plan
The National Number consists of ten digits as follows.
Listed Directory Number | |||||||||
Area Code | Office Code | Station Number | |||||||
X1 | X2 | X3 | L | L | N | N | N | N | N |
Where
L = Any letter from Table 2 below.
N = Any numeral from 0 to 9.
X1 = Any numeral from 2 to 9.
X2 = 0 (zero) or 1.
X3 = Any numeral from 0 to 9 when X2 = 0. Any numeral from 0 to 9 except 1 when X2 = 1.
Letters | No. of Dial Pulses |
A B C | 2 |
D E F | 3 |
G H I | 4 |
J K L | 5 |
M N O | 6 |
P R S | 7 |
T U V | 8 |
W X Y | 9 |
The information in Tables 1 and 2 was taken from “Section II Chart 1: The National Numbering Plan” in Notes on Nationwide Dialing (1955).
List of Suitable Central Office Names
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
ACademy BAldwin CAnal CApital CAstle |
ADams BElmont BEverly CEdar CEnter CEntral |
CHapel CHerry CHestnut CHurchill CIrcle |
ALpine BLackburn CLearbrook CLearwater CLifford CLinton |
AMherst ANdrew ANdrews COlfax COlony COngress |
BRidge BRoad BRoadway BRown BRowning CRestview CRestwood |
ATlantic ATlas ATwater AVenue BUtler |
AXminster AXtel CYpress |
32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 |
DAvenport DAvis EAst EAstgate FAculty FAirfax FAirview |
DEerfield DEwey EDgewater EDgewood EDison FEderal |
DIamond DIckens FIeldbrook FIeldstone FIllmore FIreside |
ELgin ELliot ELmwood FLanders FLeetwood |
EMerson EMpire ENdicott FOrest FOxcroft |
DRake DRexel ESsex FRanklin FRontier |
DUdley DUnkirk DUpont EVergreen FUlton |
EXbrook EXeter EXport EXpress |
42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 |
GArden GArfield HAmilton HArrison HAzel |
GEneral GEneva HEmlock HEmpstead IDlewood |
GIbson GIlbert HIckman HIckory HIllcrest HIlltop |
GLadstone GLencourt GLendale GLenview GLobe |
HObart HOmestead HOpkins HOward INgersoll |
GRanite GReenwood GReenfield GReenleaf GRover GRidley |
HUbbard HUdson HUnter HUntley HUxley IVanhoe |
GYpsy HYacinth HYatt |
52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 |
JAckson LAfayette LAkeside LAkeview LAmbert LAwrence |
JEfferson KEllogg KEystone LEhigh LEnox |
KImball KIngsdale KIngswood LIberty LIncoln LInden |
Reserved for radio telephone |
JOhn JOrdan LOcust LOgan LOwell |
Reserved for radio telephone |
JUniper JUno JUstice LUdlow LUther |
LYceum LYndhurst LYnwood LYric |
62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 |
MAdison MAin MArket MAyfair NAtional |
MEdford MElrose MErcury NEptune NEwton NEwtown |
MIdway MIlton MIssion MItchell NIagara |
OLdfield OLive OLiver OLympia OLympic |
MOhawk MOntrose MOrris NOrmandy NOrth NOrthfield |
ORange ORchard ORiole ORleans OSborne |
MUrdock MUrray MUseum MUtual OVerbrook OVerland |
MYrtle OWen OXbow OXford |
72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 |
PAlace PArk PArkview PArkway RAndolph RAymond SAratoga |
PErshing REdfield REdwood REgent REpublic |
PIlgrim PIoneer RIverside RIverview SHadyside SHerwood |
PLateau PLaza PLeasant PLymouth SKyline |
POplar POrter ROckwell ROger ROgers SOuth SOuthfield |
PRescott PResident PRospect SPring SPruce |
STate STerling STillwell STory SUnset |
PYramid SWathmore SWift SWinburne SYcamore |
82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 |
TAlbot TAlmadge TAylor VAlley VAndyke |
TEmple TEnnyson TErminal TErrace VErnon |
THornwall TIlden VIctor VIctoria VIking VInewood |
ULrick ULster ULysses |
TOwnsend UNderhill UNion UNiversity VOlunteer |
TRemont TRiangle TRinity TRojan UPtown |
TUcker TUlip TUrner TUxedo |
TWilight TWinbrook TWinoaks TWining |
92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
WAbash WAlker WAlnut WArwick WAverly |
WEbster WElls WEllington WEst WEstmore YEllowstone |
WHitehall WHitney WIlliam WIlliams WIlson WIndsor |
Reserved for radio telephone |
WOodland WOodlawn WOodward WOrth YOrktown |
Reserved for radio telephone |
YUkon | WYandotte WYndown WYman |
The information in Table 3 was taken from “Section II Appendix A: List of Suitable Central Office Names” in Notes on Nationwide Dialing (1955).
References
American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Notes on Nationwide Dialing. 1955.