Phone Numbers from the 40's

[ctchandler]

Does anyone remember phone numbers like "2531J"? I spent a lot of time (the whole month of August every year) with my aunt, uncle, and grandparents in Chickasha and that was their phone number from the time I can remember (about 1946-47) through the early to mid fifties. What was the significance if any of the "J" on the end. They were on a party line but my home line was too and the number was originally 85941. I'm not sure if this is nostalgia or memories or what, but this forum seemed to be an appropriate place for this question.
C. T.

[rezman]

Could the "J" have been part of the exchange? ... like here in town, ours was SU9-0234. One of my friend's number was WI6-9022.... SU For Sunset, WI for Windsor, Etc.

C.T. I know you were around all the old phone prefixes long before I came along, but it's just a guess on my end. I do know that El Reno had four digit phone numbers in town up untill the late 80's - early 90's , and you had to dial long distance to Okc.

[UnclePete]

CT, I don't know if I can answer your question about the J at the end of a phone number, but in my hometown, when party lines were set up, the first number assigned had the J. A private line had only a 3-digit number like 112, and a four party line had a 3 digit number followed by a letter (either J, or R, or W, or M). Even though there were 4 parties, you only heard one other party talking on your phone. Our number was 216R, and the other party was 216M. My Aunt and Uncle were on an 8 party line, and their number was 228J4, and four rings told them the call was for their number.

[Jim Kyle]

Can't answer your question, CT, but when we moved to NW 20 and May in 1946 we could only get a party line. As I recall, it was two-party, and we never had much of a problem with it. The number was 2-9694. Later, when the CO at NW 23 and Portland was built, it became 92-9694 -- and by that time it was a private line but the number did not change until going to the new CO. Sometime after that, it became WIndsor 2-9694, and when Bell switched to 10-digit (including area code) numeric that became 942-9694 with absolutely no change in the actual keystrokes. It remained that, throughout the lives of both my parents, and stayed unchanged until my youngest son sold the house and moved to Oregon in 1997.

I've always been fascinated by the way that number evolved from 5 digits to 8 without changing the original 5 at all, just adding ornaments at the front!

[ctchandler]

I will try to respond with one post to all your comments. Rezman, there weren't any "exchanges" at that time as far as I know. Every number was five numbers in length. When they added exchanges, Chickasha's was "CA" or Castle. Uncle Pete, I think you're onto something. I'm sure it had to do with the party line position and for some reason, "J" probably was the first one. I do know that the number of rings indicated which house the call was meant for. Jim Kyle, my first number in OKC was 85941, then it was changed to 45941, then ME-45941 which of course became 634-5941. To get a private line, you needed a priority. My dad was a fireman and we couldn't get one, but a lady cussed out my pre-teen sister and when my mother reported it, we were placed at the top of the list and had a private line in less than a month. As an adult I had a private line from 1965 till 1975 when I moved to my current location. We were on a party line from 1975 till 1980. It was a four party line on the Spencer exchange.
C. T.

[rezman]

C.T. .. So when your phone sounded your designated rings, could the other people on your party line pick up and listen in on your conversation?. I had heard that that's how gossip traveled so fast in small towns.

[ctchandler]

C.T. .. So when your phone sounded your designated rings, could the other people on your party line pick up and listen in on your conversation?. I had heard that that's how gossip traveled so fast in small towns.

Rezman,
Yes, they could and did.
C. T.

[OKCRT]

That's how the gossip really got going. People listening to other people and before you knew it,the whole block knew and so on. My Grandma had one way back and us kids would get on there and listen to the other party once in a while,til we got our back sides stung.

[Tritone]

My folks had a party line when they bought their house in OKC (1948 or so). One of the other housholds on the line got a very early call every morning which was a bit of a problem for everyone else. The phone company said it shouldn't bother them since is wasn't their ring.

[Prunepicker]

Does anyone remember phone numbers like "2531J"? I spent a lot of time (the
whole month of August every year) with my aunt, uncle, and grandparents in
Chickasha and that was their phone number from the time I can remember (about
1946-47) through the early to mid fifties. What was the significance if any of the
"J" on the end. They were on a party line but my home line was too and the
number was originally 85941. I'm not sure if this is nostalgia or memories or
what, but this forum seemed to be an appropriate place for this question.
C. T.

Dang, CT, you came up with another one. As you know I wasn't around in the
40's. I do remember watching movies and many would use 5 numbers. Not
sure that I remember letters at the end but I do remember letters at the beginning.

In OKC, during the 50's, the numbers would be something like MUtual 5-5555
or MElrose 5-5555. I'm sure you remember that.

[Prunepicker]

My folks had a party line when they bought their house in OKC (1948 or so). One
of the other housholds on the line got a very early call every morning which was
a bit of a problem for everyone else. The phone company said it shouldn't bother
them since is wasn't their ring.

Do you remember having a particular ring? I remember a party line that had 3
short rings or 2 long rings and a short ring. When our phone rang I told MOM
to answer it. She'd say, "it's not our ring tone." I don't remember what our tone
was but was constantly perturbed that the phone rang and nobody answered it.

[RadicalModerate]

Even up and over there--in the primitive, semi-pioneer telephone arrangement, designed and refined by the NBS, at the foot o' the Rockies, we had party lines too. And, in fact, we didn't like it. Especially the listening in part.

Our prefix was HI (for Hillcrest)
Goofy on account of no hills..

Which has nothing, whatsoever, to do, with you being one of the best bass-players in the world
For Real.

[ctchandler]

Dang, CT, you came up with another one. As you know I wasn't around in the
40's. I do remember watching movies and many would use 5 numbers. Not
sure that I remember letters at the end but I do remember letters at the beginning.

In OKC, during the 50's, the numbers would be something like MUtual 5-5555
or MElrose 5-5555. I'm sure you remember that.

PP,
My first number was 85941, then it was changed to 45941 and then to ME-45941 which of course became 634-5941. The number in Chickasha was the strange one. I know that it really was 25315, but it was listed in the phone book as 2531J. I wonder if my aunt and uncle were number five on the party line. I think there were eight total.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Do you remember having a particular ring? I remember a party line that had 3
short rings or 2 long rings and a short ring. When our phone rang I told MOM
to answer it. She'd say, "it's not our ring tone." I don't remember what our tone
was but was constantly perturbed that the phone rang and nobody answered it.

PP,
I don't remember but I'm sure there was a certain ring for them. That's how they all worked in the forties and some even into the fifties. We had a party line but it was smarter then and only rang in the house that actually was called. During that same time my girlfriend lived in far Northwest Cleveland county at 89th and Portland and their system wasn't smart so they heard everybody's ring and only answered when it rang a certain way/pattern.
C. T.