Aera Code 209

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CALIFORNIA STATE TELEPHONE CENTRAL OFFICE'S

AREA CODE 209

Area code 209, was a split of originally established area code 916 in October 1957. The 209 area code served areas of the northern San Joaquin Valley and into the Sierra Foothills including the cities of Stockton, Modesto, Merced and Yosemite. A majority of the area code serves the sparsely populated agriculture region of the state and hence numerous independent telephone companies were established to serve these areas. Traditionally, Pacific Telephone & Telegraph and General Telephone Company of California both of which did incorporate independent companies into their system were the main telephone operating companies in the region. Today the area is still served by the legacy carriers Pacific Bell now AT&T and General Telephone now Verizon California, along with a handful of independent companies still operating.

ATWATER	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office serving the small town along the banks of the San Joaquin River. Old Exchanges: ELmwood 8
CROWS LANDING	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office serving the small town along the banks of the San Joaquin River. Office is a remote switch hosted by the Los Banos office. Old Exchanges: TEmple 7
DOS PALOS	Original office built by independent company, Dos Palos Telephone Company in the 1930s. Eventually purchased by Contel of California in the 1950s, General Telephone Company in the late 1960s and became GTE now Verizon California. Dos Palos was considered a Class 4 Toll Office during the Direct Distance Dialing Hierarchy with direct trunk groups to the Class 3 Fresno Primary Office. Now a DMS host switch to Oro Loma. Old Exchanges: EXpress 2
DOS PALOS WYE	Original Dos Palos Telephone Company remote switch, built to relieve Dos Palos and serve the rural intersection of Highway 33 and 152 (Hence the name "wye") and Santa Rita Park. Became Contel of California, GTE, and now Verizon California. Remote switch hosted by Dos Palos. Old Exchanges: DUpont 7
FARMINGTON	Originally built by Central California Telephone Company in the 1950s. Small remote switch hosted from Manteca and serving the agri-community of Farmington about ten miles east of Stockton. Remote switch hosted out of Manteca. Old Exchanges: TUrner 6
GUSTINE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built to serve the farming town of Gustine located along the western fringe of the San Joaquin Valley. Office is a remote switch hosted from Los Banos. Gustine was the first location and office in California to host Emergency 911 dial service in March 1970. Old Exchanges: ULrick 4
LE GRAND	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Serves the farming communities of Le Grand and Plainsburg. Remote switch hosted from the Merced office. Old Exchanges: EVergreen 9
LODI	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office serving the central valley city of Lodi. Also serves as host office to numerous remotes in the area. Was once classified as a Class 4 Toll Office with the Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy with direct trunk groups to the Stockton Class 3 Primary Center. Old Exchanges: ENdicott 8 & 9
LATHROP	Original General Telephone office, built in the late 1960s to relieve the Manteca office and provide service to the growing agri-industrial town in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Remote switch hosted by the Manteca office.
LOS BANOS	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built to serve the medium sized farming town of Los Banos located along the western region of the San Joaquin Valley. Office is host to numerous remotes and is almost identical in design and architecture as the Stockton 12 office, about 100 miles north, both most likely built in the mid-1960s.
MANTECA	Original San Joaquin Telephone Company office later purchased by General Telephone and now Verizon California. Manteca was considered a Class 4 Toll Office in the Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy and had direct trunk groups to the Class 2 Stockton Sectional Office. Manteca is now a tandem office that provides tandem services and is also host to numerous Verizon remote offices in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Old Exchanges: TAlbot 3
MERCED	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office serving the central valley city of Merced. Office built in the 1920s. Provided early radio service to the Yosemite Valley. Was once classified as a Class 4 Toll Office with the Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy with direct trunk groups to the Stockton Class 3 Primary Center. Old Exchanges: RAndolph 2 & 3
MODESTO 02 "MAIN"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office serving the city of Modesto. Modesto "Main" is a large urban office serving thirty exchanges and is host for numerous regional remotes. Old Exchanges: LAmbert 2, 3, 4 & 6.
MODESTO 03 "CERES"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office serving the southern Modesto, Ceres and Keyes areas. Old Exchanges: KEllog 7
MODESTO 04 "SALIDA"	Originally Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Remote switch hosted from Modesto 02 "Main" and serving the Salida and south Ripon areas. Old Exchanges KIngswood 5
MODESTO 52 "SOUTH"	Newer remote switch built by Pacific Bell in the 1990s to relieve Modesto 02 and provide service to the growing industrial and residential areas to the southwest portion of Modesto. Office is hosted by the Modesto 02 "Main" office.
NEWMAN	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built in the early 1960s to serve the farming town of Newman located along the western fringe of the San Joaquin Valley. Office is a remote switch hosted from Los Banos. The Pacific Bell logo still survives after almost fifteen years!
ORO LOMA	Original Dos Palos Telephone Company remote switch, built to relieve Dos Palos and serve the rural farming towns of Oro Loma and Hamburg Farms on the far western end of the San Joaquin Valley. Became Contel of California, GTE, and now Verizon California. Remote switch hosted by the Dos Palos office. Old Exchange Names: FOrest 4
PLANADA	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Remote switch hosted by the Merced office. Old Exchanges: FUlton 2
RIPON	Original San Joaquin Telephone Company office later purchased by General Telephone and now Verizon California. Serves the agri-industrial region of Ripon between Modesto and Stockton and famous for its almond production. Office reconstructed to look like a house and fits in well to the neighborhood. Remote switch hosted from Manteca. Old Exchanges: TAlbot 9
STOCKTON 01 "MAIN"	Stockton Main is the Tandem office for the SBC "mid" central valley region and AT&Ts Toll Office. Originally constructed by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. At one time Stockton had microwave service see: Northern California Microwave Sites Page 2 During the Long Lines period, AT&T classified Stockton as a Class 2 Sectional office. Direct trunk connections were established between Stockton and the Fresno primary office and Sacramento Regional office. Stockton had L-3 cables to Lodi (Lodi AT&T Site)and a branch connected to Manteca (part of the Modesto-Hayward cable). Today fiber connects Stockton with Lodi, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, and Modesto. Old Exchanges: HOward 2,3,4,5,6
STOCKTON 11 "GRANITE"	Originally constructed by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built to relive Stockton 01 and serve the northern areas of Stockton including Lakeview and Lincoln Village. Old Exchanges: GRanite 7
STOCKTON 12 "ASHLEY"	Originally constructed by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built in the mid-1960s to serve the growing suburban region east of Stockton. When the office was constructed, Bell planners forecast large growth as the City of Stockton had proposed major development in the eastern city areas. This development never really happened and this office is now a rather large building in a rather rural area. Note office is an exact replica of the Los Banos office, approximately 100 miles to the south. Office is a remote hosted from the Lodi office.
STOCKTON 14 "REDWOOD"	Originally constructed by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built in the late 1960s to relieve Stockton 01 and provide service to French Camp and Taft Mosswood.
THORNTON	Originally Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Remote switch hosted by Lodi, and serving the small town of Thornton within the San Joaquin River Delta. Old Exchanges: PYrimid 4
TRACY	Originally Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built to serve the town of Tracy in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Office has been expanded to serve the growing suburbia and industry around Tracy. Old Exchanges: TErminal 5
WAWONA	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Built in the late 1960s to replace manual toll stations hosted by the old Yosemite Lodge central office. Serves Wawona and Fish Camp areas located south of Yosemite National Park. Remote switch hosted via microwave by the Merced office. Old Exchanges: ESsex 5
YOSEMITE 11 "MAIN"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Office replaced the old Yosemite Lodge central office and is located in the heart of Yosemite National Park. Remote switch hosted via microwave by the Merced office. Old Exchanges: FRontier 2
YOSEMITE 12 "EL PORTAL"	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph -->Pacific Bell-->SBC-->now AT&T office. Office built in the 1970s to relieve the Yosemite Main office and provide service to communities located along State Route 140 including El Portal, Incline, and Foresta. Remote switch hosted via microwave by the Merced office.

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