What was your first phone number?

[tomwed]

Mine was UNion 7 oh oh 78. This was before zero had a name and your area was as far as you could see.

BTW, did you ever pick up your phone back then and hear 2 people talking and wonder how this could be? I did. We only owned one phone.

[manaboutown]

This was back in the 1940's. Our family's had five digits which I remember clearly. We had a two party line. The parties had different rings so you knew when to pick up and when to pass. We had a rotary dial on our heavy single black telephone. Long distance cost a fortune and was operator assisted either station to station or person to person (even more costly).

Sometimes we used telegrams.

[duhbear]

8-3804

[shcisamax]

CLearwater 9 2867

[Patty55]

ANdrew 5-3938. Just one phone in the kitchen, a rotary with a big long cord that always knotted up.

[KayakerNC]

BR-549

http://goinglikesixty.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/junior-samples-hee-haw-br549.jpg

[rubicon]

My mother and father's 253 6108

[jblum315]

OXford 7-3150

[kittygilchrist]

In perry, fl.
5033-K

[DougB]

271-2575

[bookseller61]

LYric2-6249 Elmsford NY

[pbkmaine]

GReenwood 3-3789

[bookseller61]

LYric2-6249

[Carla B]

2-4035. Same number as on the family car license plate. The number "2" stood for the county, ranked according to population, "1" being the most populous.

[Halibut]

Good on all of you for remembering those!

I have a dim recollection of my grandmother's number being CYpress something in San Diego.

I do remember "long distance" being mentioned by the adults in the house in hushed tones, because of the expense. It was mostly saved for brief calls to relatives on Christmas.

Ma Bell also used to gouge us for "message units" on calls that were out of the immediate area (like, 10 miles) but weren't officially long distance.


2-4035. Same number as on the family car license plate

How did you manage that? Was it a small town that let you choose your phone number?

[troy1smith]

JACKSON 1-1236 KELLOG 7-8857 MID 50 s

[gomoho]

271-2575

REALLY???? How old are you.

[tedquick]

We were on an 8-party line. Our ring was 2 longs and a short. I don't remember the number for sure, but I think it was 214, but I do remember our plumbers and that only because of the writing on the side of his trucks. "Don't fuss. Don't cuss. Call us. 88-W".

[KathieI]

SYcamore 2-0316 Bronx, NY circa mid-1950's

[Sparty6971]

First ever phone (I was a young kid): Our "number" was two shorts and a long. Yep, you held down the hook, cranked the handle and told the operator who you wanted to talk to. If they said us, she would crank out the 2-S and 1-L "number." Goodrich, Michigan

The first real phone number that other people could dial to get us was CEdar 57548. Burton Township, Michigan. It was a party line so yes, you could pick up the phone and listen to others talking on the line since we shared it with a couple of other families on our street.

[Nipper]

Mine was Union 7 oh oh 78. This was before zero had a name and your area was as far as you could see.

BTW, did you ever pick up your phone back then and hear 2 people talking and wonder how this could be? I did. We only owned one phone.

You had a "party" line --- which was a shared line with another customer.

[borjo]

2369

[fishon]

Hemlock (HE) 9 1492

[OCsun]

Beachwood 4-5789 you could call me any old time! :)

[Deter1]

TRojan2-1813

[jojo]

424 - party line in very small town - Williamsport Ohio (near Circleville OH)

[Toms River T&D]

Growing up was SOmerville 8-0001,

[Carla B]

Good on all of you for remembering those!

I have a dim recollection of my grandmother's number being CYpress something in San Diego.

I do remember "long distance" being mentioned by the adults in the house in hushed tones, because of the expense. It was mostly saved for brief calls to relatives on Christmas.

Ma Bell also used to gouge us for "message units" on calls that were out of the immediate area (like, 10 miles) but weren't officially long distance.




How did you manage that? Was it a small town that let you choose your phone number?

Yes, ours was a small town but I don't know how the license plate came to be the same as the phone number. I was a young teenager at the time and not concerned with such trivial matters. Probably the phone number preceded the license plate.

[Serenoa]

Tucker 4-2202 ....on a farm in east central Illinois. It was a party line with five other families on our country road. I remember my mom & dad having to politely ask Mrs. Brooks to get off the line so we could make a call, otherwise she would stay on it all day talking to her sister, who only lived about another half-mile away.

[dbussone]

WA2-6022
In Beverly Massachusetts. WA stands for Walker.

[lanabanana73]

359-j

[tomwed]

Tucker 4-2202 ....on a farm in east central Illinois. It was a party line with five other families on our country road. I remember my mom & dad having to politely ask Mrs. Brooks to get off the line so we could make a call, otherwise she would stay on it all day talking to her sister, who only lived about another half-mile away.

What a great story about Americana in our lifetime. It is possible a billion and a half people in a few seconds could be reading this.

I don't know why, but I wish I knew Mrs. Brooks too.

[Bonanza]

LIvingston 9-4017

It was a partyline in Philadelphia.

[OldManTime]

2788m

[Rollie]

Concord4-6754. In Milwaukee, with a party line. Weird how one can remember something so far back, and can't remember their current number.

Rollie

[HDriders]

SPruce 7-3526 Mohnton PA

[2BNTV]

YO 9-3818, (Yonkers N.Y.)

I faintly recall the phone numbers being 5 digits. Remember the party lines, and some people listened, when they picked up the phone, and someone was already using the party line.

Heavens to Mergatriod!!

[asianthree]

We didn't have a phone number which is picked up the phone and asked Melanie to get so-and-so. And sometimes she listen in

[Rollie]

I'm not pointing fingers here, but some people on this thread are older than dirt.

Rollie

[Sandtrap328]

The telephone exchange at my office was Dudley 9. I always thought that was hilarious.

[birdawg]

SYcamore 2 3074 Bronx NY

[cybrgeezer]

JAckson 1-9929, a four-party line in St. Louis in the 1950s.

[alanmcdonald]

Northern New Jersey: HAwthorne 7-5632

[chuck90199]

In Manchester, NH in the early 1940s - The number was 3752-W
It was a party line... at least one other family on it. Different rings for the different families, but I don't remember what ours was. Frequently there was someone on it talking when you picked it up to make a call.

Sometime in the late 40's or very early 50's we got a big black heavy "dial" telephone. NAtional 2-9717. There was an assembly at school where a lady with a giant telephone spent probably an hour showing us little kids how to dial.

Now why is it that I can remember that stuff from 60 to 70 years ago, but I can't remember my own cell phone number?

[TheScoodlepoops]

143-J -- Small town in KY and picked up phone and ask the operator to connect to whatever number you were calling. Once we moved to NC, I had a devil of a time getting a long distance operator to complete a call.

[tomwed]

Northern New Jersey: HAwthorne 7-5632

I remember Hawthorne. Mine was Union and I think that has something to do with Union City. We lived in Secaucus.

[Floridagal]

TA3-7521 and we only had one rotary phone with a party line, in The Bronx
X

[tomwed]

A starter taught me a trick to remember my Village ID number. He said instead of trying to remember all 6 numbers look at your ID number as a series of 3, 2 digit numbers. Instantly I memorized my ID number.

[dengid]

white 496. The color identified it as a party line white,yellow, etc.). If you could get a private line it would have been just 496
Cortland, Ohio

[MikeV]

867-5309

[Aandjmassage]

My Mom still using it so can't give it out. Even though only telemarketers call it now.

[tomwed]

My Mom still using it so can't give it out. Even though only telemarketers call it now.

wow, that's amazing.
how old is the number? i just presume you are retired and not like 12 years old.

[tommy steam]

732 5074.....LI about 50 yrs ago

[jebartle]

and as a side note, I'M OLD, remember a phone number a gazillion years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I don't think so....I'm amazed at all previous posters that DO remember....Wow!



We were on an 8-party line. Our ring was 2 longs and a short. I don't remember the number for sure, but I think it was 214, but I do remember our plumbers and that only because of the writing on the side of his trucks. "Don't fuss. Don't cuss. Call us. 88-W".

[old moe]

:):) My number was and still is......Frankfooter 8=u812. Call me:bigbow::bigbow:

[ditka41]

"Hudson3-2700" --If you're from the Chicago area, and over 55, you remember the number AND who it was very well. Good ol' days of telephone numbers.

[Aandjmassage]

I'm 46 and my parents bought house when I was born. Same phone number first it was (Bell) then (ATT) now is (Frontier). Just started internet 1 1/2 ago in little town of 200 people.

[Shimpy]

Many often use old addresses or phone numbers for passwords. I even use an old license plate number. Easy to remember and hard to trace.

[DianeM]

RAvenswood 6-2411

[DougB]

867-5309

I saw your number on the wall, also said for a good time call.

[Frank7]

In Brooklyn NY Dickens 5-2684 DI 52684

[Matzy]

761-2528 my parents phone; 716-1527 my own one

[Topspinmo]

2244 on 7 party line. to dial out of town had to dial zero to get operator.

[JB in TV]

Beachwood 4-5789 you could call me any old time! :)

The Marvelettes. Surprised no one else mentioned this.

[Chi-Town]

867-5309
Ask for Jenny.

[sailor47]

It was 4 digits, we called them numbers back then. The phone was black, heavy and did not have a rotary. It was a party line with four other families. To make a call we picked up the phone and generally told the operator who we wanted. We lived in rural Indiana. I don't ever remembering us making a long distance call. Out of the question do to the cost.

Funny thing is I think some folks may be paying proportiantely more to day for some cell services.

[Schaumburger]

ask for jenny.

lol.

[jbdlfan]

592-4315 My dad still had this number when he passed in February. Now my brother has it...

[Lauren Sweeny]

Not mine phone number but a radio commercial that many Clevelanders will remember in a catchy tune " Garfield 1-2323

[beachx4me]

I guess the one my parents had and my mother still has, over fifty years later!!

[Deseylou]

My dad still has the number my grandparents had when it switched to 7 #'s
228-3790
The first number I can recall is from 5th grade
931-1999

[Bavarian]

VIctor 4 0356.
First thing my mother drilled into me for safety, and dial Operator for any emergency. One time during my First COOP Job, wanted to have operator to call home collect. She could not figure out how to dial number, could not understand letters.

[jimmemac]

We had 2 numbers as my father was a doctor and his office was located in part of the house=trinity 6-3344 was office and trinity 6- 3345 was the house number. Since it was a party line only needed one phone for the office and the house.

[applesoffh]

I'd love to post, but my mom still has the same phone number! 66 years in the same house and still going strong at 93!

[Halibut]

I'm not pointing fingers here, but some people on this thread are older than dirt.

Haha! Any kids reading this would have no idea what we're talking about. Rotary? Party lines? What's a handset?

I was thinking today about some ads that still say, "Call 1-800..."

Who dials 1 any more? The people still using their land lines with the same number from 30 years ago? :)

[Lauren Sweeny]

We had a party line, ( No , not that kind of party! )
Maybe you remember, back in the day , it meant sharing your telephone line with another party. Our family shared with a family of 12 down the block!

[eweissenbach]

Two longs and a short. You would crank the magneto and when "central" answered you would tell her who you wanted to call and she would plug you into the right party on her switchboard. It was a party line as well, with several neighboring families on nearby farms. When the system was upgraded in the mid fifties it was AXminister 6-3887.

[Shimpy]

This was back in the 1940's. Our family's had five digits which I remember clearly. We had a two party line. The parties had different rings so you knew when to pick up and when to pass. We had a rotary dial on our heavy single black telephone. Long distance cost a fortune and was operator assisted either station to station or person to person (even more costly).

Sometimes we used telegrams.

Can you imagine trying to explain to us back then what phones we would have today? It would seem like Buck Rogers. I can't even imagine trying to explain the computers we have. I can't tell you how many hours I spent in a library doing research for papers when now all we need is Google.

[courtyard]

When I was asked to RESET my PASSWORD by answering a customized security question (on my healthcare website), one of the questions to choose was:

"What was your first phone number?" So, I would be careful what you put out there...

Also, another question was: "What was your nickname"

[villagetinker]

We had EL (Elgin) 6 - ####, forgot the four digits, this was from the Broomall, PA area. I remember my parents and grandparents talking about the party lines, but as I recall we actually had our own line, this was about 1950 or so.