How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Scottsdale: construction loan, sailboat)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

I think I remember these:

BR was Bridge (we thought South of the Salt River Bridge)
AM was Amhearst (never figured that one out)
AP was Applegate (never figured that one out either)
AL was Alpine ((never figured that one out either)

That's all I can remember. I liked the names whatever they meant. I was sorry to see it all go numeric. Of course, I was also sorry to see Phoenix be divided into different area codes due to the number of telephones.

WHitney, in the Arcadia area. My number was WH5-4783.

Here's roosevelt's list from upthread, page 420:

Ah yes, the prefixes: CRestwood and
AMherst
WInsdor
YEllowstone
ALpine
WHitney
BRidge
APplegate
YOrktown
WOodland
BRoadway
YUkon
WEstport

[Westside Willie]

Originally Posted by observer53

Anything about old Phx history is on topic, here. The CR stood for CRestwood.

[mod cut]

Heres another image of a Phx PD Lark.
Can anyone ID these two dudes?

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by observer53

WHitney, in the Arcadia area. My number was WH5-4783.

Here's roosevelt's list from upthread, page 420:

Ah yes, the prefixes: CRestwood and
AMherst
WInsdor
YEllowstone
ALpine
WHitney
BRidge
APplegate
YOrktown
WOodland
BRoadway
YUkon
WEstport

Was a WHitney6-4668...

Question: what if the number was 95x-xxxx? No real dipthongs for W, X, Y or Z that match to a real word with the second letter (from 5) or J, K or L. I remember a lot of East Phoenix 956 and 959 exchanges.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Was a WHitney6-4668...

Question: what if the number was 95x-xxxx? No real dipthongs for W, X, Y or Z that match to a real word with the second letter (from 5) or J, K or L. I remember a lot of East Phoenix 956 and 959 exchanges.

956 and 959 were some of the original all number prefixes from the 60's.. everyone's number changed completely when those started. Mine went from WH5-4783 to 959-1293. Yes, I do still remember the numbers. Don't ask me what happened yesterday, though...

[JoeC]

Thanks, All!

I thought a "YUkon" exchange was a little bit "odd" for Phoenix - then I found this list of acceptable exchange names from Ma Bell.

Original Bell Telephone doc; naming conventions listed in Section II, Appendix A (warning - Huge document!).

[desertskies]

Originally Posted by observer53

956 and 959 were some of the original all number prefixes from the 60's.. everyone's number changed completely when those started. Mine went from WH5-4783 to 959-1293. Yes, I do still remember the numbers. Don't ask me what happened yesterday, though...

Our family went from WH5-4719 north of Jack Rabbit Rd to 948-2487 when we moved to the "sticks", North Scottsdale. The move must've been very close to when Ma Bell decided on an all number system. The numbers have no bearing what-so-ever on current day-to-day, but are ingrained into the memory.

[Arcadia Camelback]

Originally Posted by observer53

WHitney, in the Arcadia area. My number was WH5-4783.

Is that somehow related to the Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home on 48th Street and Indian School?

Originally Posted by observer53

956 and 959 were some of the original all number prefixes from the 60's.. everyone's number changed completely when those started. Mine went from WH5-4783 to 959-1293.

They later converted all the phone numbers with the 959 prefix to the 840 exchange, but you got to keep your last 4 numbers.

[SluggoF16]

Having then seen the above posts' comments and links, it looks like 55x-, 57x- and 95x- were not used until the 60s. It wouldn't have been practical to use those numbers... 95x would've been WJ, WK, WL, XJ, XK, XL, YJ, YK, YL, ZJ, ZK or ZL. Not too many words with those two first letters.

Now that I have learned something new and worthwhile on this forum, my day is complete.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Arcadia Camelback

Is that somehow related to the Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home on 48th Street and Indian School?


They later converted all the phone numbers with the 959 prefix to the 840 exchange, but you got to keep your last 4 numbers.

If Ma Bell had a list, as in the other post, (that is a HUGE document, indeed-- the list starts around p 32 of a 230 page doc-- you'd learn a lot of probably now useless info about the phone system in that thing, but I love having the prefix list!!!) then I don't think it had to do with anyone, or anything, local -- after all, we had YUkon.

We moved to Scottsdale, to a 946 exchange, before that 959 to 840 change happened. Wonder why they did that?

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Having then seen the above posts' comments and links, it looks like 55x-, 57x- and 95x- were not used until the 60s. It wouldn't have been practical to use those numbers... 95x would've been WJ, WK, WL, XJ, XK, XL, YJ, YK, YL, ZJ, ZK or ZL. Not too many words with those two first letters.

Now that I have learned something new and worthwhile on this forum, my day is complete.

Mine too!

[JoeC]

Re 55, 57, 95 and 97 not being in use - those were reserved for radio stations; Wx for stations east of the Mississippi, and Kx for the stations west. I figure it was so each radio station could have a phone number similar to their individual callsign. If KDKB had been around at the time, they probably could have gotten "KK 1-2345" or somesuch.

AFAIK, the W- and K- radio callsign convention is still in force.