Aera Code 559

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CALIFORNIA STATE TELEPHONE CENTRAL OFFICE'S

AREA CODE 559

Area code 559 was the result of the split of area code 209 which at one time covered a major portion of California's Central Valley. The split occurred in November 1998 and the southern portion of the region took the 559 code. This area covers mostly agriculture and farming yet has some larger urban areas comprising of the Fresno and Visalia-Hanford metropolitan areas.

ALPAUGH	Original Central California Telephone Company -->General Telephone of California-->GTE--> now Verizon remote switch hosted from the Cocoron office. Serves the farming town of Alpaugh within the Central Valley. Old Exchanges: CHurchill 7
ASH MOUNTAIN	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph "Sequoia" office then becoming Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted via microwave from the Visalia office. Serves the headquarters and base "camp" of Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. Old Exchanges: LOcust 5
AVENAL (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Coalinga office. Serves the town of Avenal on the western fringes of the Central Valley.
BADGER	Original General Telephone Company of California office built to replace manual toll stations in the remote foothills southeast of Fresno. Remote switch hosted from the Reedley office. Old Exchanges: LOcust 5
BURREL	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Coalinga office.
CAMP NELSON (Thanks to WR)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Porterville office and all microwave feed. Signal bounces off a passive repeater then down into Porterville. Office is about 5000-foot elevation and serves the Southern Sierra towns of Camp Nelson, Cedar Slope, Alpine Village and Ponderosa.
CANTUA CREEK	Office built by GTE in the early 1980s to replace long circuits and provide more reliable phone service to the farming communities of Cantua Creek and Three Rocks. Remote switch hosted from the San Joaquin office.
CHOWCHILLA (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote office hosted from the Merced office. Serves the farming community of Chowchilla, located along the 99 corridor in the Central Valley. Old Exchanges: MOntrose 5
CLOVIS	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office. Serves the suburban area of Clovis located just northeast of Fresno. Old Exchanges: AXminster 8 and CYpress 9
COALINGA (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1940s to serve the oil boom town of Coalinga located along the Temblor Range to the west of the Central Valley. Office serves as host to numerous remotes in area and is homed onto the Fresno Tandem office, some 50 miles to the northeast. Old Exchanges: WElls 5, Its interesting to note the prefix, as in oil wells which is why the town was settled.
CORCORAN	Original Central California Telephone Company -->General Telephone of California-->GTE--> now Verizon California. Old Exchanges: WYman 2
DINUBA (Thanks to BK)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch. Manual exchange replaced with a #5 Crossbar system between 1948 and 1953. Current DMS 100 host has 591, 595 and 596. Old Exchanges: LYric 1
DUNLAP	Original Central California Telephone Company -->General Telephone of California-->GTE--> now Verizon remote switch hosted from the Reedley office.
DUCOR	This is the main central office for the Ducor Telephone Company. This office serves as both a switching center and customer office. Old Exchanges: KEystone 4
EXETER	Original Central California Telephone Company -->General Telephone of California-->GTE--> now Verizon California DMS100 switch.
FARMERSVILLE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Visalia office. Original CDO placed into service prior to the advent of ANC in the mid 1960s. Now a Nortel DMS remote switch. Old Exchanges: SHerwood 7
FIREBAUGH (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Fresno 14 "Highway City" office. Old Exchanges: OLiver 9
FIVE POINTS (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Coalinga office. Serves the farming communities of Five Points and Helm. Old Exchanges: TUxedo 4
FOWLER	Original General Telephone Company of California->GTE--> now Verizon digital GTD5EAX switch serving the farming community of Fowler. Old Exchanges: TEmple 4
FRESNO 01 "MAIN"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office serving as the main tandem switch for the California Central Valley Region. Old Exchanges: ADams 3, 7, AMhurst 4, 6, 8 and ROchester 7 (Time) For more pictures and information see: Fresno Tandem Office
FRESNO 11 "BALDWIN"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch built in the 1950s to relieve Fresno 01 Main. Old Exchanges: BAldwin 2 and 5
FRESNO 12 "CLINTON"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch built in the 1950s to relieve Fresno 01 Main. Expanded in the 1970s. Old Exchanges: CLinton 1 and 5
FRESNO 13 "SIERRA"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch built to relieve the Fresno 11 Baldwin office in the late 1960s.
FRESNO 14 "HIGHWAY CITY"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch built to relive the Fresno 11 Baldwin and Fresno 13 Sierra offices in the late 1970s and provide phone service to the expanding suburban growth to the northeast of the city.
FRESNO 15 "WOODWARD"	Original Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch that was built to relieve the Fresno 13 Sierra office in the 1980s and provide service to the Woodward Lakes housing development.
GOSHEN	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Visalia office. Office built in the 1970s to relieve the Visalia office and provide service to the town of Goshen and the Highway 99 and Highway 198 interchange.
HANFORD	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Coalinga office. Serves the Central Valley City of Hanford. Old Exchanges: LUdlow 2 and 4
HURON (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Coalinga office. Serves the farming town of Huron located on the west side of the Central Valley. Old Exchanges: WHitney 5
IVANHOE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Visalia office. Built to relieve the Visalia office in the 1970s to serve the farming town of Ivanhoe on the eastern fringes of the Central Valley.
KINGSBURG	Original Central California Telephone Office built in the 1950s, purchased by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Selma office. This office serves the Swedish town of Kingsburg, home of Sunmaid Raisins. Old Exchanges: TWinoaks 7
LATON	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Selma office. Old Exchanges: WAlnut 3
LEMON COVE	Original Central California Telephone Company office built in the 1960s. Became General Telephone of California, GTE and now Verizon California remote switch hosted from the Exeter office.
LEMOORE 11 "MAIN" (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch serving the Central Valley city of Lemoore. Old Exchanges: WAlnut 4
LEMOORE 12 "WYMAN" (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Lemoore 11 office. Built in the early 1960s to provide phone service to the Lemoore Naval Air Station and surrounding areas to the west of the City of Lemoore. Old Exchanges: WYman 8
LINDSEY	Original Central California Telephone Company -->General Telephone of California-->GTE--> now Verizon California office.
MADERA 11 "MAIN" (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch serving the Central Valley agri-industrial City of Madera. Office also serves as host to numerous remotes in the area as well as the interface for Sierra Telephone Company. Old Exchanges: ORchard 3 and 4
MADERA 12 "BONNADELLE" (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Fresno 13 "Sierra" office. Office built in the early 1980s to relieve the long circuits from the Madera 11 office and serve the growing development of Bonnadelle Ranchos and Madera Ranchos, east of Madera.
MENDOTA (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Fresno 14 "Highway City" office. Serves the farming town of Mendota in the western Central Valley. Old Exchanges: OLiver 5
MIRAMONTE	Original General Telephone Company of California office built to serve the rural western Sierra Nevada foothills southeast of Fresno. Became GTE and now Verizon California remote switch hosted via microwave from the Reedley office.
OAKHURST (Thanks to AB)	Oakhurst is the main switch for the Sierra Telephone Company which provides rural telephone service across the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. Sierra has been an independent telephone provider since 1895. Oakhurst was once a Class 4 Toll Center under the AT&T Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy with direct trunk groups to the Fresno Class 3 Primary Center. Oakhurst uses a Northern Telecomm DMS 100/200 host switch and is connected to Madera via fiber. Old Exchanges: OVerbrook 3
ORANGE COVE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Dinuba office. Old Exchanges: MArket 6
OROSI	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Dinuba office. Old Exchanges: LAwerence 8
PIXLEY	Original Central California Telephone Company office purchased by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Tulare office. Serves the farming town of Pixley located along the Highway 99 corridor. Old Exchanges: PLaza 7
PORTERVILLE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T larger central office serving the farming region of Porterville located along the southeastern fringes of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Old Exchanges: SUnset 4
SELMA	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch that provides hosting to numerous remotes south of the Fresno metropolitan region. Old Exchanges: TWinoaks 6
SPRINGVILLE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted via microwave from the Porterville office. Serves the town of Springville and communities along the Tule River. Old Exchanges: JEfferson 9
SQUAW VALLEY	Original General Telephone Company of California in the late 1960s to replace manual toll stations in the Squaw Valley and Kings Canyon region east of Fresno in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Now a Verizon California office hosted from the Reedley office.
STRATFORD (Thanks to AB)	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted by the Lemoore 11 office. Serves the farming town of Startford located on the western edges of the Central Valley. Note the Pacific Bell logo "stain" remains even after the sign was removed. Old Exchanges: WIndsor 7
STRATHMORE	Original Central California Telephone Company -->General Telephone of California-->GTE--> now Verizon California remote switch hosted from the Lindsey office.
TERRA BELLA	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Porterville office. Similar design to many of the smaller remote switches serving the various farming towns within the southern Central Valley. Old Exchanges: KEllog 5
THREE RIVERS	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Visalia office. Serves the Kaweah River valley and gateway to Sequoia National Park. Old Exchanges: LOgan 1
TIPTON	Original Central California Telephone office. Interesting Spanish style architecture and door entrance design. Remote switch hosted from the Tulare office.
TULARE	Original Central California Telephone office, purchased by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office. Office serves the larger farming and agriculture city of Tulare in the Central Valley. Digital switch that is also host to numerous remotes in the southern Central Valley region. Old Exchanges: MUrdock 6
VISALIA	The Visalia office opened in April, 1948, replacing the manual exchange three blocks away at 129 S. Church Street. It was originally a step-by-step office. There are two very high-ceilinged floors above ground. The switches, test-board and trunking were on the first floor. Operator Services (Traffic) cord switchboards and DA took up the second floor. Visalia was once a Class 4 Toll Center under the AT&T Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy plan with direct trunk groups to the Fresno Class 3 Primary Center. The brown concrete insets in the walls cover the windows that fell victim to the Cold War. If you look closely in the top picture you can actually see the shadow of the old Pacific Telephone signage, with the 1969 Bell System logo. Pacific Bell removed the sign in 1984, when they placed their red star-key emblem on the north and west faces of the building. Those were later replaced with SBC signage and now has new owner AT&T displayed. Old Exchanges: REdwood 4
WOODLAKE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T remote switch hosted from the Visalia office. Old Exchanges: JOrdan 4

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