Date: Sat, 07 Sep 1996 18:21:48 -0700 From: "Mark J. Cuccia" Subject: Recommended "EXchange" Names The following is a list of *recemmended* names for dialable/quotable telephone EXchange names. It comes from AT&T/Bell's publication "Notes on Nationwide Dialing, 1955". This reference book was revised for 1956 as "Notes on Distance Dialing" and under that title was revised further in 1961, 1968 and 1975; to take on the title "Notes on the Network" in 1980; further name changes have occurred over the years of this reference book as it was revised in 1983, 1986, 1990, 1994, and the current 1996 edition. Bellcore took over publication of this reference book's revisions beginning with the 1986 edition. I don't have a copy of the 1956 edition, but I would assume that the recommended EXchange name list is included in there, too. The original list show the 'full' name *and* the recommended *abbreviation* for use in the printed telephone directory. I will only list the 'full' names here. Many cities with EXchange names had for decades been using names which are not from this list. They were not necessarily required to change the names, although some places might have changed the name to 'conform' with the recommendation. These names were supposed to have been chosen such that pronouncing the name should easily identify the first two significant dialable letters of the word, as well as quoting the two letters themselves wasn't supposed to be confused with *other* 'like-sounding' letters which were associated with different numbers on the dial. Direct customer dialing of long-distance nationwide calls was becoming popular, phased-in, throughout the 1950's and early 1960's. AT&T recommended these 'generic' EXchange names to the local Bell (and independent) telcos for areas which had only used local numbers of two, three, four or five numerical digits which were moving to a standard seven-digit (2L-5N) format for full incorporation into the North American DDD Telephone Network. These names were considered 'generic' enough for use 'anywhere' in the US and Canada, without any local differences in pronunciation or spelling in the first two letters. However, many areas still continued to use local names with unique or difficult sounds and/or spelling. Please note that the 55x, 57x, 95x and 97x ranges are not included. In the original list, it states "Reserved for Radiotelephone Service". Note that there are no vowels on the 5, 7, 9 digits on the dial. It was considered difficult to form words/names easy to pronounce from the letters JKL, PRS, WXY. However, San Francisco had their KLondike exchange (55x), and in the later 1950's and early 1960's, fictitious exchange names in radio/TV/print entertainment and advertisements used KL-5 or KLondike-5. This is really the origin of the '555' exchange, which has also been used for directory assistance, and now also the newest version of 'info' lines. As for "Radiotelephone" service in the 55, 57, 95, 97 (JKL/PRS/WXY) ranges, I do remember many older mobile phones had ID numbers of the form "KK-xxxx" or "WJ-xxxx", etc. By the late 1950's, AT&T decided to abolish 'official' use of EXchange names and rather go to "All Number Calling". One of the reasons which was given was that when international customer dialing would eventually become available, letters might be confusing as many countries had their letters on different digits, had some different character letters (Germanic and Scandinavian countries, as well as the Cyrillic alphabet used on Russia's dials), used different alphabets entirely (China and other Asian countries), some counries didn't even use letters on their dials at all. ANC has become an international standard, using 'decimal' digits for all telephone numbering as well as domestic and international traffic worldwide, although letters have made a "return" in marketing use. I think that the ITU even has a current international recommendation for placing letters on the dial, as marketing functions use them. The traditional North American dial's use of letters is the standard, including the rarely used (in North America)'Z' and 'Q' letters. Many *OLD* (1930's and 40's) North American dials had the 'Z' on the '0' (zero), and many North American operator keysets also have had the letter 'Q' on the '1' (one). I think that the current International standard uses either the QZ on the '1' or on the '0'; or the 'Q' with PRS on the '7' and the 'Z' with the WXY on the '9'. Another reason to change to ANC was because there were little or no names available from the four earlier mentioned number series. While those series were reserved for Radiotelephone (as well as *test* functions, such as ringback, reaching telco official departments, ANAC/ANI readback, etc), these four series should also be used as "POTS" numbers, as Bell was concerned about the increased use of numbering and code resources (similar to today). Automated dial-in paging (beepers) was becomming available in the late 50's and early 60's. Many PBX's were being automated for full dial-in from outside with a 'standard' seven-digit number such that every department or even employee in a company (or every guest room in a hotel or hospital) would have a distinct 'standard' direct-dial-in telephone number. And even computer modems and data processing systems with dial-up lines over the telephone network were coming into use beginning in the late 1950's. In a 2L-5N situation, the third character of the EXchange was a numerical digit. It was recommended *NOT* to use the digit '0' (zero) for the third digit, during the EXchange name days. That didn't mean it was never used, only that it was *rarely* used. By converting to ANC, it shouldn't matter if the third digit of a numerical exchange prefix was a '0' (zero). In North America, the changeover from letters/names to ANC was in a phased process. Some small to medium size towns which had local numbers of five digits (or less) were converted to DDD-standard seven-digit numbers with *NO* EXchange name used, as early as the late 1950's! The conversion of existing names began around 1960. In cities which had mixed 2L-5N and full numerical seven-digit numbers usually had new wirecenters/NNX codes introduced with all-number NNX codes from 1960-on. New Orleans had virtually converted to ANC (as far as the 'official' telephone directory) by 1966. Some cities finished their conversions in the early or mid 1970's (Chicago, New York City), and I think that Philadelphia didn't 'officially' complete conversion to ANC until 1980 or even later. Even though we are 'officially' on an ANC basis, there is nothing which prohibits one from still quoting their telephone number with the old EXchange names ... just look at my contact info in my 'sig-line'. I give the old (and valid) EXchange names as well as the corresponding numerical format, with *full international/domestic* preliminary codes. This list might help those who would like to use an old-style EXchange name if their current NN(X) office code never did have an old EXchange name from the 1950's or earlier. 22x: 23x: 24x: 25x: 26x: 27x: ACademy ADams CHapel ALpine AMherst BRidge BAldwin BElmont CHerry BLackburn ANdrew BRoad(way) CApital BEverly CHestnut CLearbrook COlfax BRown(ing) CAstle CEdar CHurchill CLearwater COlony CRestview CEnter CIrcle CLifford COngress CRestwood CEntral CLinton 28x: 29x: 32x: 33x: 34x: 35x: ATlantic AXminster DAvenport DEerfield DIamond ELgin ATlas AXtel DAvis DEwey DIckens ELliot ATwater CYpress EAst(gate) EDgewater FIeldbrook ELmwood ATwood FAculty EDgewood FIeldstone FLanders AVenue FAirfax EDison FIllmore FLeetwood BUtler FAirview FEderal FIrestone 36x: 37x: 38x: 39x: 42x: 43x: EMerson DRake DUdley EXbrook GArden GEneral EMpire DRexel DUnkirk EXeter GArfield GEneva ENdicott ESsex DUpont EXport HAmilton HEmlock FOrest FRanklin EVergreen EXpress HArrison HEmpstead FOxcroft FRontier FUlton HAzel IDlewood 44x: 45x: 46x: 47x: 48x: 49x: GIbson GLadstone HObart GRanite HUbbard GYpsy GIlbert GLencourt HOmestead GReenwood HUdson HYacinth HIckman GLendale HOpkins GReenfield HUnter HYatt HIckory GLenview HOward GReenleaf HUntley HIllcrest GLobe INgersoll GRover HUxley HIlltop GRidley IVanhoe 52x: 53x: 54x: 56x: 58x: 59x: JAckson JEfferson KImball JOhn JUniper LYceum LAfayette KEllogg KIngsdale JOrdan JUno LYndhurst LAkeside KEystone KIngswood LOcust JUstice LYnwood LAkeview LEhigh LIberty LOgan LUdlow LYric LAmbert LEnox LIncoln LOwell LUther LAwrence LInden 62x: 63x: 64x: 65x: 66x: 67x: MAdison MEdford MIdway OLdfield MOhawk ORange MAin MElrose MIlton OLive MOntrose ORchard MArket MErcury MIssion OLiver MOrris ORiole MAyfair NEptune MItchell OLympia NOrmandy ORleans NAtional NEwton NIagra OLympic NOrth(field) OSborne NEwtown 68x: 69x: 72x: 73x: 74x: 75x: MUrdock MYrtle PAlace PErshing PIlgrim PLateau MUrray OWen PArk(view) REd(field) PIoneer PLaza MUseum OXbow PArk(way) REd(wood) RIver(side) PLeasant MUtual OXford RAndolph REgent RIver(view) PLymouth OVerbrook RAymond REpublic SHadyside SKyline OVerland SAratoga SHerwood 76x: 77x: 78x: 79x: 82x: 83x: POplar PRescott STate PYramid TAlbot TEmple POrter PResident STerling SWathmore TAlmadge TEnnyson ROckwell PRospect STillwell SWift TAylor TErminal ROger(s) SPring STory SWinburne VAlley TErrace SOuth(field) SPruce SUnset SYcamore VAndyke VErnon 84x: 85x: 86x: 87x: 88x: 89x: THornwell ULrick TOwnsend TRemont TUcker TWilight TIlden ULster UNderhill TRiangle TUlip TWinbrook VIctor(ia) ULysses UNion TRinity TUrner TWinoaks VIking UNiversity TRojan TUxedo TWining VInewood VOlunteer UPtown 92x: 93x: 94x: 96x: 98x: 99x: WAbash WEbster WHitehall WOodland YUkon WYandotte WAlker WElls WHitney WOodlawn WYndown WAlnut WEllington WIlliam(s) WOodward WYman WArwick WEst(more) WIlson WOrth WAverly YEllowstone WIndsor YOrktown MARK J. CUCCIA PHONE/WRITE/WIRE: HOME: (USA) Tel: CHestnut 1-2497 WORK: mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu |4710 Wright Road| (+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity 5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New Orleans 28 |fwds on no-answr to Fax:UNiversity 5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail