I have an old map of Oklahoma City from the early 1960s, and for phone numbers, they use two letters and 5 numbers ex: VI 3-6182. I was curious if anyone could give me some insight as to what the letters stand for? I that they stand for numbers and I do know that the VI stands for Victor (My mom grew up around Hefner and May and her phone number began with Victor.) Possibly a list of the abbreviations? Any information or insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

Victor, Winsor, Mutual, Melrose, Central, Orange, Garfield .......uh, that's all I can think of right now. It is easier to remember 2 letters if they MEANT something, I think.

I still have a Windsor (although it's technically my second one).

Others: Jackson (52x), Parkview (72x), Sunset (78x), Skyline (75x), Swift (79x), Greenfield (47x), Pershing (73x).

Thanks so much! How about PE?

Never mind on that! Thank you two so much!

Pershing. Just to finish it.

OK, HA and NE. I'm trying to get them all if I can. :-D

SH = SHadyside (SHadyside 5 was one of my favorites although I never had it.)
NE = NEwton (I did have it once.)
I don't remember OK or HA though.

GL=Glendale
SM=Smallwood
PR=Prescott
GA=Garfield
PE=Pershing
FO=Forest
RE=Regent
JA=Jackson
CE=CEntral
TR=Trinity
WH=Whitney
OR=Orange
My phone exchange when we got dial was GLendale, and we didn't have it long and it was changed to SMallwood. There was a concerted effort to get many phone numbers starting with a 7. P or R or S.

Wasn't "NE" Neptune? That's what I remember, and it was a Moore exchange. By the way, for us really "Old" folks, remember when the phone numbers were five digits? My first number was 65941 then Bell changed it to 85941 and once more to 45941. Shortly after it was changed for the last time to ME-45941. And my mother had that number till she moved to the MU (68) exchange in 1976.
C. T.

As a kid growing up near NW 63rd & Meridian, our number was PA1-2837, which later became the ubiquitous 721-. I went to Putnam City and almost everyone I went to school with had a 721- number.

And I can still picture our yellow wall-mounted rotary phone in the kitchen, with the PA1- sticker in the middle of the dial.

Wasn't "NE" Neptune? That's what I remember, and it was a Moore exchange. By the way, for us really "Old" folks, remember when the phone numbers were five digits? My first number was 65941 then Bell changed it to 85941 and once more to 45941. Shortly after it was changed for the last time to ME-45941. And my mother had that number till she moved to the MU (68) exchange in 1976.
C. T.In Moore for a long time we had to drive about 1/2 mile south to use our neighbor's phone or we had to drive a mile north. But we got our first phone 63 or 64 and ours was NEwton. Later we became SWift.

I remember Neptune though but don't recall us ever having it. Maybe the name was changed and I don't recall.

I found this web site:
http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

I remember calling 5-digit numbers. We had to go through the operator and our number was 216R. When we got a dial, the installer just took the front center out of the phone and put in a dial. This was in Nicoma Park. We had moved up here from near McAlester, and to call down there the Nicoma Park operator would connect to the Shawnee operator, she to the Wewoka operator, and then Wewoka operator would connect to McAlester who would ring the phone in Haywood (only 1 phone in the entire town). Phones were for important messages only like death or critical illness notices.




Wasn't "NE" Neptune? That's what I remember, and it was a Moore exchange. By the way, for us really "Old" folks, remember when the phone numbers were five digits? My first number was 65941 then Bell changed it to 85941 and once more to 45941. Shortly after it was changed for the last time to ME-45941. And my mother had that number till she moved to the MU (68) exchange in 1976.
C. T.

My grandmother's number at NW 32 and Shartel was Sunset

My grandmother's number at NW 32 and Shartel was Sunset

Wow! My Grandma lived at NW 33rd & Olie (2 blocks west of Shartel) and her's was JAckson

When my family moved to NW 20 and May in December of 1946, they got a phone number of 29694. Some years later, it changed to 92-9694. The next change was to WIndsor 2-9694. Finally that became 942-9694, which stayed the number through the rest of my parents' lives, and through the time my youngest son lived there. He sold the place in 1999 and moved to Oregon. I don't know whether anyone has the number now, 11-plus years later.

The fascinating thing, to me, about all that was that the number stayed essentially the same, just with additional digits at its left end. WI, of course, is the same as 94...

A friend just told me that their prefix in far northwest Cleveland county was NEptune that later became SHadyside. That's after 5 digit calling of course. So that area must not have been out of the Moore switching station

Wow! My Grandma lived at NW 33rd & Olie (2 blocks west of Shartel) and her's was JAckson

Shartel might have been the dividing line. I think her number was either SU3-8128 or SU4-8128.

My understanding too was that you originally dialed the 5 digits only, and they later added the named prefixes. They lived in their house from the '20s to the '70s. Don't know when they got their phone but I think they had the same 5 digits the whole time.

My grandparents on the other side had some old painted wooden truck sideboards in their garage for a business they had in Blanchard I saw when I was helping them clean it out in the '70s. I think the phone number on it was 89. They said before that on hand cranks, they were on a party line and it had something to do with long and short rings generated by the crank, like one person's code might be two short and a long ring but everyone who picked up, could and did listen in.

Shartel might have been the dividing line. I think her number was either SU3-8128 or SU4-8128.

My understanding too was that you originally dialed the 5 digits only, and they later added the named prefixes. They lived in their house from the '20s to the '70s. Don't know when they got their phone but I think they had the same 5 digits the whole time.

My grandparents on the other side had some old painted wooden truck sideboards in his garage for a business he had in Blanchard I saw when I was helping them clean it out in the '70s. I think the phone number on it was 89. They said before that on hand cranks, they were on a party line and it had something to do with long and short rings generated by the crank, like one person's code might be two short and a long ring but everyone who picked up, could and did listen in.

Yeah, Grandma was JAckson4-5015 as long as I knew it, from '59 to '92 when she moved into a nursing home; probably for years before that too. She was on a party line when we moved to OKC in '61. Her next door neighbor, Mrs. Meeks, used to get mad when me and my sister would pick up the phone no matter what code rang.

My grandparents on the other side had some old painted wooden truck sideboards in their garage for a business they had in Blanchard I saw when I was helping them clean it out in the '70s. I think the phone number on it was 89. They said before that on hand cranks, they were on a party line and it had something to do with long and short rings generated by the crank, like one person's code might be two short and a long ring but everyone who picked up, could and did listen in.

You're correct about the party lines. That's what we had when I was growing up in Norman (JE - Jefferson). You had to listen for a special ring when someone was calling you and you could indeed listen to other peoples calls.

A friend just told me that their prefix in far northwest Cleveland county was NEptune that later became SHadyside. That's after 5 digit calling of course. So that area must not have been out of the Moore switching station

That makes sense, my girlfriend lived at 89th and Portland. Her dad owned the farm there. I think it was 350 acres. I think the first three digits really indicated the exchange sub-station since Ne for Northwest Cleveland county is the same two digits as Ne for the rest of Cleveland county. Probably a way for people to relate to a geographic area. My friends numbers all started with NE9 and my girlfriend's number was NE-92171.
C. T.

You're correct about the party lines. That's what we had when I was growing up in Norman (JE - Jefferson). You had to listen for a special ring when someone was calling you and you could indeed listen to other peoples calls.

We were on a four party line but it was in town and you didn't hear a ring unless the call was for you. You could hear other people if you picked up the phone and they were on a call. Private lines were hard to come by in the fifties but one of the parties cussed my teenage sister out because she was on the phone. When my mother reported that it happened (she didn't know who it was) we received our private line within a week. I moved to far Northeast OKC in 1975 and we had a four party line till the late 70's or early 80's.
C. T.

Shartel might have been the dividing line. I think her number was either SU3-8128 or SU4-8128.

My understanding too was that you originally dialed the 5 digits only, and they later added the named prefixes. They lived in their house from the '20s to the '70s. Don't know when they got their phone but I think they had the same 5 digits the whole time.

My grandparents on the other side had some old painted wooden truck sideboards in their garage for a business they had in Blanchard I saw when I was helping them clean it out in the '70s. I think the phone number on it was 89. They said before that on hand cranks, they were on a party line and it had something to do with long and short rings generated by the crank, like one person's code might be two short and a long ring but everyone who picked up, could and did listen in.

My girlfriends phone system was the type that it rang with a certain type for each recipient. I didn't know that until one day early in my relationship (dating, talking on the phone) that it rang in that many homes and what I would do is when I got home from school, I would dial her and let it ring till she got home, usually only a five to ten minutes. After about a week or so of that, one of the people on her party line picked it up and informed me that it was wringing in everybody's home. I was pretty embarrassed and never did that again.
C. T.

Hey, CT, was that the place at 89th and Portland where we used to have "gang" fights?

Did SUnset cover a large area? You guys referring it a near n.w. while my aunt has lives in the 2100 block one block east to Rockwell. Today when I call I have to think SU9-9@@@

I do remember some of them. JA was Jackson. WI was Windson. (I don't rcall that there was a VI.; for one thing it would have been too easily cofused with WI.) CE was Central. ME was Melrose. I don't rcal others right now, but telphone directories for that period are available at the main library. This system for phone numbes was common across the country at that time

I do remember some of them. JA was Jackson. WI was Windson. (I don't rcall that there was a VI.; for one thing it would have been too easily cofused with WI.) CE was Central. ME was Melrose. I don't rcal others right now, but telphone directories for that period are available at the main library. This system for phone numbes was common across the country at that time

VIctor was a Northside excahange, around John Marshall/Nichols Hills area I think.

WIndsor would be 94, VIctor is 84.

Moore was SWift and Spencer was PRospect

We had a 4-party line, but you could only hear the ring for 2 parties (216R and 216M) We listened for 2 rings and the other party had one. My Aunt had an 8 party line, and calls for 4 different phones would ring at her house. Her number was 228J4, and we listened for 4 rings. This was in Nicoma Park, and we didn't get a private line until we got dial (GLendale exchange).



We were on a four party line but it was in town and you didn't hear a ring unless the call was for you. You could hear other people if you picked up the phone and they were on a call. Private lines were hard to come by in the fifties but one of the parties cussed my teenage sister out because she was on the phone. When my mother reported that it happened (she didn't know who it was) we received our private line within a week. I moved to far Northeast OKC in 1975 and we had a four party line till the late 70's or early 80's.
C. T.

Hey, CT, was that the place at 89th and Portland where we used to have "gang" fights?

There were a few fights there. Do you remember Johnny getting shot? I believe that is where it happened. My girlfriend's home was about a half, maybe three quarters of a mile South of 89th on the East side of Portland.
C. T.

There were a few fights there. Do you remember Johnny getting shot? I believe that is where it happened. My girlfriend's home was about a half, maybe three quarters of a mile South of 89th on the East side of Portland.
C. T.

I forgot to say the last name, it was Johnny Rogers and he was killed out there.
C. T.

It was also near there where Roy Fort was shot, if my memory serves. This got discussed on the Southside memories thread 2 or 3 years ago. I don't recall a Johnny Rogers incident.

Surely you remember Rogers....it was later on after fort was shot...

Surely you remember Rogers....it was later on after fort was shot...

& what does this have to do with old phone numbers? I'm sorry. Forgot you guys are really old, and tend to stray. :backtotop

Edmond had PL which stood for Plaza.

& what does this have to do with old phone numbers? I'm sorry. Forgot you guys are really old, and tend to stray. :backtotop

Sorry, when thoughts start flowing, other memories seem to just naturally happen and USG'60 and I got sidetracked. I won't promise it won't happen again, but I will try to remember the thread I am on.
C. T.

Edmond had PL which stood for Plaza.

I Don't remember any Edmond prefix other than 34(1), and PL (75) is an exchange in Northwest OKC isn't it? What areas in Edmond had PL?
C. T.

Surely you remember Rogers....it was later on after fort was shot...

I was trying to send you an email and I received the message " * Generals64 has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space."
Let me know when I can answer your email.
C. T.

The 75x numbers in Oklahoma City were actually SKyline.

Incidentally, Victor, Skyline and Greenfield (478) were considered Britton, rather than Oklahoma City, for toll purposes; through the early 1970s, calls from other communities on the fringe of OKC were long distance. (The woman I married told me that when she worked at Penn Square and lived in Midwest City, it was a toll call from home to work, or back again.)

Sorry, when thoughts start flowing, other memories seem to just naturally happen and USG'60 and I got sidetracked. I won't promise it won't happen again, but I will try to remember the thread I am on.
C. T.

I was not being serious. When you got involved with this group you offered yourself wide open.........

I was not being serious. When you got involved with this group you offered yourself wide open.........

I'm pretty thick skinned but kidding or not, I really didn't mean to start a new thread in this one.
C. T.

In 1961, I remember
Edmond having only one exchange: PL=PLaza.



I Don't remember any Edmond prefix other than 34(1), and PL (75) is an exchange in Northwest OKC isn't it? What areas in Edmond had PL?
C. T.

In 1961, I remember
Edmond having only one exchange: PL=PLaza.

Well, I left the state in 1960 and returned in 1968 and the only person I knew in Edmond in 1960 was my older sister attending CSC and how many little brothers called their sisters. You have straightened me out, now if you can, help me a little more. I moved to Edmond in 1968 and my exchange was 34 and that's the only one I remember. Was PL still there then?
Thanks,
C. T.

From 1961 to 1974 we lived at 24th and Villa. Our phone number was WI6-4125. I loved the old Windsor. I cannot remember when it was changed to just 946-4125

My grandparents lived in Edmond way back in the 40's. For years their phone number was just 3 digits. Then sometime in the 60's (?) they added 341-0 plus their three digits. When I was a student at Central State COLLEGE back in '67 if I called home to OKC from Edmond there was a long distance charge.

It was so much easier to remember the numbers when they had a name prefix. My mother now lives in the 63.... prefix area, but I still think "MElrose... when I dial it.

I will never forget my childhood number, ME2-2228. Being a bit of a rebel, during the 90's when I liked in Midwest City, I recorded my phone message as, "you have reached Riverside 1-6155. . ." I am pretty sure Midwest city never had such a named exchange as the 741 prefix was not added until the late 80's (IIRC). For those of you still inclined, there is a website dedicated to exchange numbers, and a table of "Ma Bell's Officially Recommended Exchange Names" at:

http://http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/Recommended.html

The page, with a little history is available at:

http://http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

Regards,
Wesley H.

I grew up in GArfield and VIctor.

SUnset was far west, as a previous poster suggested.

My dad was at the OKC Fire Station at 36 th and Meridian and that number was SUnset9-7666.

Anyone know what the name for the 34x Edmond exchange was? As an aside, I grew up on Lakeside Drive west of May and South of Hefner and we had a SKyline-1 (751) number.

My earliest okc number was MU5-4150. I believe that stood for Mutual.

A trusted source tells me Edmond numbers 34- never fell into the named system.

cleanskull,
Yes, it was Mutual.
C. T.
My earliest okc number was MU5-4150. I believe that stood for Mutual.

Correct about Edmond. Our PL4 number became 341 sometime in the mid to late '60's. Yes, calling OKC was long distance.

Does anyone attending OSU in the 1970's remember the beep line?

cleanskull,
Yes, it was Mutual.
C. T.

Thank you C. T. Folks recall on this forum blows me away. I should have paid better attention.

SU was out in the Bethany area. It was Sunset. Windsor or WI was over around the 23rd & Portland area.

I went to OSU in 1976 -1980 and don't know anything about it.

Our number was Victor 3-3028. We lived west of Nichols Hills.

Edmond had PL which stood for Plaza.

Yes, Edmond was Plaza. Not sure what the number after that was, but the rest of our number was 0506. This was back in the early to mid 60's. I do remember it was long distance to call Oklahoma City then. Just a bit off topic, but people did a lot of collect calls in that era also. My grandmother lived in Elk City and we lived in Edmond. When she got home from visiting us, she would call to let us know she got home OK......she would make a collect call to us and ask for some random person...we would say they weren't there and decline the call....we knew she made it home and didn't have to pay for a long distance call:)

Correct about Edmond. Our PL4 number became 341 sometime in the mid to late '60's. Yes, calling OKC was long distance.

Does anyone attending OSU in the 1970's remember the beep line?

I was at OSU in the late 70's and definitely remember the "beep line".....this was way before Online Dating of course.....I think I remember meeting a couple of people for a date that I visited with on the line.....:Smiley122