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  CALIFORNIA STATE TELEPHONE CENTRAL OFFICE'S

 

                                    

AREA CODE 415

The San Francisco region was the first area in California and on the west coast to receive telephone service in the 1800s. Telegraph was first introduced to the region in 1853 and later that same year a 200 mile line connected San Francisco with Marysville (central hub of the gold fields during the Gold Rush). By 1860 telegraph had connected San Francisco with Yreka and Los Angeles. Just a year after the invention of the telephone, a telephone circuit was established between two commercial interests in San Francisco. A year later in 1877, The Gold and Stock Telegraph Company opened the first exchange to serve 18 new telephone subscribers. A few months later the National Bell Telephone Company of San Francisco started service with the "Bell" franchise and quickly gained 176 subscribers. In 1880 the two competing telephone companies merged to form the Pacific Bell Telephone Company. The Sunset Telephone-Telegraph Company was subsequently formed to provide long distance or "toll" service throughout the western states. By 1885 San Francisco could talk directly to: Oroville, Visalia, Monterey and Fresno. In 1889 the Pacific Bell Telephone Company became the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. The first long-distance line between San Francisco and Los Angeles was opened in 1894 and a line to Portland followed in 1898.

The great earthquake of 1906 damaged the telephone system and destroyed 5 out of the 7 central offices. Of the 52,000 telephones in service only 10,000 remained operational. It would take a year before the system was restored to pre-earthquake conditions. In 1954 Pacific Telephone and Telegraph became just Pacific Telephone and this then became Pacific Bell after the 1984 divestiture. SBC purchased Pacific Bell followed full circle by AT&T in 2005.

The 415 area code was one of the first of three original area codes established for the state in October 1947. At that time the area code covered the central California region from Bakersfield to the south and Sacramento to the east. Due to telephone growth the code has been split three times, however San Francisco kept it original code. In February 2015 and overlay of 628 was added to the 415 code, requiring uses to dial a 10-digit number mandatory. Up until this year (2015) San Francisco was the last largest city in the United States where the seven digit dialing was still allowed.

 




IGNACIO


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office. Built in 1950s to serve the growing bedroom community located in Marin County.

Old Exchanges: TUcker 3



SAN FRANCISCO 01 "BUSH-PINE"
(Thanks to AB)


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office. The original Pine Street office built in the 1880s and severely overloaded was eventually replaced with this modern high-rise built in 1967. The new office was to provide core telephone service and relieve neighboring offices of the downtown San Francisco capacity. This office is sixteen stories in high and is the central office or local switch for some 600,000 telephone numbers.

Old Exchange Name: CHina 5 (Chinatown), DOuglas 2, EXbrook 1 and 7, GArfield 1 and 8, GEneva 3 and 4, MArket 2, SUtter 1, VAlencia 3, YUkon 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.



SAN FRANCISCO 04 "MARKET"
Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1920s.

Old Exchanges: HEmlock 1, KLondike 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, MArket 1 and 6, UNderhill 1 and 3



SAN FRANCISCO 05 "MISSION"
(Thanks to AB)


Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1930s to serve as the name suggests the "Mission District" and Potrero Hill area south of the city

Old Exchanges: ATwater 2, 5 and 8, MIssion 7 and 8, VAlenica 1, 4 and 6.



SAN FRANCISCO 06 "JUNIPER"
(Thanks to AB)



 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1930s to serve the Excelsior and Ingleside areas south of the city.

Old Exchanges: DElaware 3 and 4, JUniper 4, 5, 6 and 7



SAN FRANCISCO 12 "STEINER"
(Thanks to AB)


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1930s and serves Pacific Heights and the Marina District. Large addition to the office in the 1970s

Old Exchanges: FIlmore 6, GReystone 4, JOrdon 1 and 7, ORdway 3, PRospect 1, 5 and 6, TUxedo 5, WAlnut 1 and 2, WEst 1



SAN FRANCISCO 13 "EVERGREEN"
(Thanks to AB)



 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1940s. Serves the Richmond District and Presidio Heights.

Old Exchanges: BAyview 1, EVergreen 6 and 7, MOntrose 6, SKyline 1 and 2.



SAN FRANCISCO 14 "MONTROSE"
(Thanks to AB)


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1940s to serve the Sunset District of the city. Office expanded during the 1980s due to load growth.

Old Exchanges: MOntrose 1 and 4, OVerland 1 and SEabright 1.



SAN FRANCISCO 17 "THIRD STREET"
(Thanks to AB)



 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1960s to relieve San Francisco 05. Serves Bayview and Hunters Point.





SAN FRANCISCO 21 "FOLSOM"



 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office. The Folsom office is the main Tandem Office for the San Francisco area and the toll office for AT&T. A rather "cold" edifice shrouded in aluminum with only a few openings. Folsom was a Primary Center with AT&Ts old Direct Distance Dialing system and had direct connections to Oakland's Sectional Center through various under-bay cables. AT&T installed 4ESS toll switching equipment here in June of 1985.

Old Exchanges: ROchester 7 (Time Announcment), EXbrook 6, 9 and WEather 6



SAN FRANCISCO 64 "UC HOSPITAL"
(Thanks to AB)



 Newer "customer" specific switch that provides three prefixes (up to 30,000 theoretical numbers) for UC San Francisco Medical Center. Stand-alone digital switch is located in technical basement of the building.



SAN RAFAEL 01 "MAIN"


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office, serving the bedroom community in the Marin County area. Also is host to two remotes along the northern coast.

Old Exchanges: GLenwood 3, 4 and 6



SAN RAFAEL 11 "PARKWAY"


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office built in the 1950s to relieve the San Rafael Main office and provide service to the growing bedroom communities of Marinwood, Terra Linda and Santa Venetia.

Old Exchanges: GReenfield 9



SAUSALITO
(Thanks to AB)


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T office. Serves the quaint seaside community of Sausalito just across the bay from San Francisco.

Old Exchanges: EDgewater 2

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