cmoore@BRL.MIL (VLD/VMB) (01/25/89)
I could not get mail thru to nelson@kodak.com , so I am rephrasing this some- what to make it more of general interest. I saw mention of 1953 Binghamton phone book; did it have an area code map? I was wondering if there were any area code splits before 305/904 in 1965.
smk@sfsup.UUCP (Stan Krieger) (01/27/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0027m06@vector.UUCP>, cmoore@BRL.MIL (VLD/VMB) writes: > I saw mention of 1953 Binghamton phone book; did it have an area code map? > I was wondering if there were any area code splits before 305/904 in 1965. When DDD came to Atlantic City, NJ in 1961, besides detailed instructions on how to use Area Codes, etc, we were told that Area Codes were not required to any call in NJ, although the map showed the 201/609 split. There was one list of central office codes and the approximate name of the locality served. A few years later, we were told to start using 201 for calls to Northern NJ. I have since heard that the algorithm for Area Codes was orginally something like this- 1. States with one area code had its second digit as 0; states with multiple area codes had all its area codes with a second digit as 1. 2. Lower numbers were reserved for areas with a large number of phones, so the time to dial NYC (212) for example took less time than less populated areas (like the state of Wyoming). As I further heard, NJ was originally just one area code (201), but it got split before DDD really got moving. -- Stan Krieger Summit NJ
nelson@kodak.com (bruce nelson) (01/27/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0027m06@vector.UUCP> cmoore@BRL.MIL (VLD/VMB) writes: >I saw mention of 1953 Binghamton phone book; did it have an area code map? >I was wondering if there were any area code splits before 305/904 in 1965. There weren't any area codes before the 60's. To call long distance, you had to tell the operator what city and number you were calling. Some of the phone numbers in that book were of the form HArpersville 3C20. They were changed to AC + 7 digits when DDD was introduced. Bruce Nelson Eastman Kodak Co. (standard disclaimers)
john@apple.com (John Higdon) (01/27/89)
On Jan 26 at 19:17, bruce nelson writes: > There weren't any area codes before the 60's. To call long distance, you had > to tell the operator what city and number you were calling. Excuse me. The NPA was established in about 1951. I happen to have a local 1956 telephone directory with an area code map and long distance dialing instructions. I remember that Grandma's phone number was preceded by "816" (she lived in Independence, MO) and then, as now, a "1" was not dialed before long distance. The operator was used only for collect, third party billing, and person to person calls. There certainly were area codes before the sixties! -- John Higdon john@zygot ..sun!{apple|cohesive|pacbell}!zygot!john