Old telephone prefixes

**thomprod** · March-12-21, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

So because 248/947 are Oakland County overlay area codes, do you always have to call the 1+Area Code+7 digits... even if the number you are dialing is the same area code that you are calling from ??...

Yes, 10-digit dialing is now required, even if you and the called party are both in the same area code/NPA. The prefix 1 is no longer required when placing the call from cell phones.

**Jimaz** · November-17-23, 09:47 PM

The Dial Comes To Town

A 1940 educational short by Bell Telephone to show customers that were receiving new dial phones how to use the new device, and why they were getting these new sets.

AI supplants the operator. Oh my!

**takascar** · November-21-23, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

TUxedo 1-3808 here while I was growing up... far east side near Balduck Park.

TUxedo-6-2358 when I was growing up in East English Village on Bedford [[NO its NOT Morningside!)

**Lowell** · November-22-23, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

The Dial Comes To Town

AI supplants the operator. Oh my!

Entertaining. Interesting how the target audience are the elderly.

**SHAARI** · November-22-23, 10:51 AM

hey there! Berkley, also LIncoln [[54...) exchange

fun fact? When I was working for GM at the Milford Proving Grounds in the late 80's, they still had a stepper switch that supported five-digit dialing [[68x-xxxx)

**Cincinnati_Kid** · November-22-23, 01:29 PM

Mine was UN-4 -0571 [[University) Northwest Detroit.

**Ray1936** · November-22-23, 05:48 PM

When we moved into Detroit from Dearborn [[yeah, dumb move, but that was 1946) our phone number was DAvison 2539. Few years later when they went to seven digits it was changed to WEbster 4-2539. Was nice they let us keep our last four digits.

**248lurker** · November-22-23, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Dumpling

I grew up in Royal Oak with 313-LIncoln*-**** [[still in use
though with the 248 area code now). There's a Lincoln Street
in downtown Royal Oak which is probably the namesake.

I believe the former Hermann's bakery used to identify themselves with an LI#-#### number well after named prefixes became a thing of the past.

Originally Posted by 9936Sussex

I grew up on Sussex near Plymouth & Greenfield on the west side. Our number was VErmont 62365. I’ve forgotten a lot of other phone numbers in my life, but never that one!

My grandma's number was a VErmont number. Even though letter prefixes were no longer being used when I was a kid, I still remember my mom putting my grandma down as an emergency contact for school and recording her number as VE#-####. Young me didn't understand why she did that.

**jcole** · November-23-23, 09:22 AM

Upper east side; Kelly and 7 mile. LA7-5380. 16061 Maddelein. Have never forgotten it

**expatriate** · November-23-23, 11:32 AM

On the lower East Side our number was EDgewater 18904, my neighbor down the street was VAlley 27281, when we moved to Grosse Pointe it was TUxedo 57182 and when I lived in Ferndale it was LIncoln 71532. Kind of frightening that I can remember these from decades ago, and not ones I learned last week.

**phin** · November-23-23, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by 248lurker

I believe the former Hermann's bakery used to identify themselves with an LI#-#### number well after named prefixes became a thing of the past.

Ferndale Radiator still has the number on the side of his work truck, LI-#####

**EASTSIDER BALDUCK** · November-23-23, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

TUxedo 1-3808 here while I was growing up... far east side near Balduck Park.

Tu 2-3868 on Hillcrest

**jiminnm** · November-24-23, 11:12 AM

I posted in this thread a couple of years ago, with my grandparents' and parents' numbers. When I read that post I realized that my parents sold that house and moved south in 1990. My grandparents have been dead for more than a half century and their house is long gone. Yet, both of those phone numbers are still embedded in my brain, but I can't remember the last couple of my own phone numbers.

**mikefmich** · November-24-23, 05:25 PM

TUxedo 4-2340 120' from Grosse Pointe Wds into Harper Wds.

LAkeview 6-6947 and PRescott 5-6601, HW and SCS are 2 numbers I dialed often, but they have not existed in my sphere for 60 some odd years, yet I still remember them. Do NOT ask me what I had for lunch. :P

**jcole** · November-25-23, 09:21 AM

**Pontiac6000** · November-25-23, 10:30 AM

What year did using letters as prefixes stop? Our number starting in 491 never had one throughout the 1970s

**MikeM** · November-25-23, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Pontiac6000

What year did using letters as prefixes stop? Our number starting in 491 never had one throughout the 1970s

In Detroit, they stopped using letter prefixes for new exchanges starting in 1961.

**oladub** · November-26-23, 12:11 AM

There was TUxedo and TUlsa. We were on the far east side near Balduck Park with a TUxedo number. The differentiation might have had to do with which number following TU. In this thread, TUxedo numbers have begun with 1,2,4,5 and 6 and no one has dialed in with a TUlsa number.

**Jimaz** · November-26-23, 07:05 AM

1954 How to dial your phone by Bell System

**MikeM** · November-26-23, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by oladub

There was TUxedo and TUlsa. We were on the far east side near Balduck Park with a TUxedo number. The differentiation might have had to do with which number following TU. In this thread, TUxedo numbers have begun with 1,2,4,5 and 6 and no one has dialed in with a TUlsa number.

TUlsa 3 was an exchange of of Highland Park. Lots of it dedicated to Chrysler.

**MikeM** · November-26-23, 03:09 PM

Name: Phone_prefixes.jpg
Views: 131
Size: 319.2 KB

Detroit Free Press, Oct 14, 1984

**expatriate** · December-02-23, 12:25 PM

This brings up the question of how were the alphabetic prefixes determined as there could have been several possibilities for the number combinations on the dial. I'm guessing they were officially determined by Bell when they were assigning phone numbers, but what level of telephone executive got to make that call I wonder.

**Jimaz** · December-02-23, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by expatriate

This brings up the question of how were the alphabetic prefixes determined as there could have been several possibilities for the number combinations on the dial. I'm guessing they were officially determined by Bell when they were assigning phone numbers, but what level of telephone executive got to make that call I wonder.

Good question. I know Bell was very meticulous about avoiding ambiguous sounds. When asked why they don't say "zero" one operator responded that it sounds too much like "three o." They were trained to just say "O" instead. Go figure.

Wikipedia has a list of recommended central office names, q.v., Ma Bell’s Officially Recommended Exchange Names.

To help foster the use of exchange names, send this list everywhere, or print out copies and hand them out on streetcorners!

**MikeM** · December-02-23, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by expatriate

This brings up the question of how were the alphabetic prefixes determined as there could have been several possibilities for the number combinations on the dial. I'm guessing they were officially determined by Bell when they were assigning phone numbers, but what level of telephone executive got to make that call I wonder.

Last post here: 6 Digit Telephone Numbers - What years?