Telephone exchange names
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During the early years of telephone service, communities that required more than 10,000 telephone numbers, whether dial service was available or not, utilized exchange names to distinguish identical numerics for different customers.
When dial service was introduced (typically during the period of 1910 to 1960) in such multiple exchange communities, typically, customers would dial the first two or three letters of the exchange name, followed by the numeric digits.
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[edit] Exchange name formatting
London, England, is most notable for using the first three letters, then the last four digits. New York, USA, was the first American location to use so-called "2-5 numbers" or 2L-5D, two letters and five digits. This became the North American standard as customer-dialled long distance service (Direct Distance Dialing) came into use through the 1950s.
As demand for phone service grew, the supply of assignable phone numbers began to dwindle, and several North American area codes were split to enable reuse of numbers. As the growth accelerated, the decision was made to switch to All-Number Calling (ANC), since there were several unpronounceable letter combinations that were not being used. This allowed more efficient use of the number supply; only two area code splits were necessary between 1962 and 1981. All-Number Calling was phased in slowly from 1958. Most areas had adopted it fully by the late 1960s, though it did not become universal until the 1980s.
The standard format for displaying telephone numbers that used exchange names was to capitalize the first few letters if they were dialed, e.g.,
- MUrray Hill 5-9975 (one of the Ricardos' numbers on I Love Lucy - note that the H in Hill, although not dialed, is still capitalized)
- GRamercy 5-1234 (typical North American, in New York or continent-wide after about 1950)
- BALdwin 6828 (typical urban North American before move to two-digit exchange names)
- MArket 7032 (typical urban North American six-digit phone number, phased out in 1950s)
- BUCkingham 3376 (typical London, England, style up to early 1960s)
If they were not dialed, it was more common to only capitalize the first letter of each part of the exchange name, e.g.,
- Metcalfe 6000
- Fairmont 3335
- Metcalfe 200
- Fairmont 50
Such numbers could be of non-standard length, simply because they were not dialed, but quoted to an operator who plugged into the appropriate line.
During the 1950s, cities using six-digit numbers migrated to seven-digit. Typically, several six-digit exchanges were co-located in one building already, with new ones added as old ones had filled up. They were then combined into a new seven-digit number exchange, fictitious example:
- CAmrose would become PRospect 2
- DElmar would become PRospect 3
- DIgby would become PRospect 4
- LOckwood would become PRospect 6
- STormont would become PRospect 8
(although in this example, the second letter became a number, and the first letter changed to PR, this would not always be done.)
The use of letters in exchange names resulted in the placement of letters on the telephone dial. Some areas at first used original letter schemes (notably Calgary, Alberta) until later standardization. Europe and North America differ in placement of the letter O, and countries with non-English languages differ again.
[edit] Phase-in of All-Number Calling
AT&T employed a gradual strategy to ease the transition for the customers. Originally, directory listings were printed with the exchange names spelt out in full, e.g.
- Jones John 123 Anystreet............BUtterfield 5-1212
- Jones John Paul 5 Revolution Rd......ANdrew 3-2368
First stage was to print only the dialed letters:
- Jones John 123 Anystreet....................BU 5-1212
- Jones John Paul 5 Revolution Rd..........AN 3-2368
Second stage was to assign an unpronounceable combination in communities being converted from five- or fewer dialed digits to seven; no name was associated with the letters:
- Ramsay Betty 12 Connecticut Rd...........RK 3-5225
Third stage was to assign ANC to smaller communities converting to seven-digit numbers.
- Appleby Charles 1210 MacGill Lane.........553-0086
AT&T then proceeded to convert existing named exchanges to ANC, starting in smaller communities. No significant opposition arose until conversion began in major cities. In some cities such as San Francisco, opposition was organized. The opposition forced AT&T to slow down the conversion, and names did not totally disappear in major cities until 1975, long after AT&T had hoped to complete the conversion. Even today, however, it is not uncommon in New York City to see a brand new commercial vehicle with a telephone number such as "JA 6-xxxx".
Bell Canada, Alberta Government Telephones and B.C. Tel completed most conversions of existing numbers during the first half of the 1960s. Typically in larger communities, conversions would be timed with issues of the telephone directory.
For example, in London, Ontario, three conversions took place starting in February 1962 and completing in September 1963. GEneral 2, 3 and 9 were converted first; later GLadstone 1 and 5, and finally GEneral 4 and 8.
[edit] Telephone exchange names in popular culture
At least two popular songs use old telephone exchanges in their names: "Pennsylvania_6-5000" (PE 6-5000), recorded by Glenn Miller; and "BEechwood 4-5789", by The Marvelettes.
The title of BUtterfield 8, the 1935 John O'Hara novel whose film adaptation won Elizabeth Taylor an Academy Award for Best Actress, refers to the exchange of the characters' telephone numbers.
