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  CALIFORNIA STATE TELEPHONE CENTRAL OFFICE'S

 

                                    

AREA CODE 562

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.

 




ARTESIA


 Original office was built in the 1930s by Consolidated Telephone Company. Became an Associated Telephone office in 1945 and later GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.

Old Exchanges: TOrrey 5 and UNderhill 5

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BELLFLOWER



 Original office built in 1920s by Consolidated Telephone, taken over by Associated in 1945 then GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.

Old Exchanges: TOrrey 3,6,7 and WAbash 5

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BELL GARDENS
Original General Telephone office built in the 1960s to relieve the Downey "Main" office and serve the growing suburban development of Bell Gardens. Became GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications. Office is also known as the Bell Gardens "Florence" office.



DOWNEY


 		Office originally built by Associated Telephone Company in the 1920s. Became dial pre-1942 and went to Consolidated Telephone in 1945. Office was added onto and expanded over the years as ownership transferred from Consolidated to General Telephone to GTE to Verizon and now Frontier Communications.

Old Exchanges: TOpaz 1, 2 and 9, WAlnut 3



DOWNEY XG "IMPERIAL"


 Office constructed in the 1960s to relieve the Downey "Main" office and serve the growing aerospace developments in the area. This office served the North American Aviation Centrex system who's large research campus was located just down the street and was responsible for the major development of the Space Shuttle.



LA HABRA


 The La Habra central office was built back in the 1950s as a step-by-step office by the General Telephone Company. It remained a step-by-step office for nearly 30 years. In early 1980, construction started on an addition to the building to make room for a new EAX2B analog electronic switch. In January 1981, the EAX2B was placed into service. At the time, only one of the office's three existing prefixes were cut over to the new switch, and that was prefix 694. For a few more years, it remained both a step and electronic office. Eventually, the step system was fully retired and the remaining prefixes, 691 & 697, along with a newly added prefix, 690, was cut over to the EAX2B. Over the next few years, prefix 905 was added. In the early 1990s, the EAX2B switch was retired and was replaced by a 5ESS digital switch, which remains in service to this day.

Office became GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.

Old exchanges: OWen 1 & OWen 7



LONG BEACH XF "MAIN"



 Office originally built by Associated Telephone company to serve the Long Beach area in the 1920s. Office became dial in 1922.  Was the tandem office for the General Telephone-GTE Long Beach-Orange County region until the Stadium office was built in the 1980s.

Old Exchanges: Hemlock 2, 5, 6 and 7



LONG BEACH XG "UPTOWN"


 Office originally built by Associated Telephone during the late 1910s. Became dial in the 1920s.

Old Exchanges: GArfield 4, 6 and 7



LONG BEACH XH "MARKET"


 Office originally built by Associated Telephone in the late 1910s.  Became dial during the 1920s.

Old Exchanges: GArfield 2, 3 and 8



LONG BEACH XL "MARTIN LUTHER KING"



 Office built in the early 1970s by General Telephone to relieve the Long Beach "Main" office. Became GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.



LONG BEACH XM "CLARK"



 Office built by General Telephone in the early 1970s to relive the Long Beach XT "Termino" office. Became GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications



LONG BEACH XS "STADIUM"


 The original "Stadium" office was built in the 1940s to relieve Long Beach Main and serve the growing aerospace development in the area. This office also served as the Centrex for Douglas Aircraft Corporation through the 1980s. 

The Stadium office was enlarged and became a deul role in the early 1980s when it became the Tandem office for the Long Beach-Orange County region offices. The addition was a multi-story brick facade building to the rear of the existing Stadium local office. Once complete tandem functions were rehomed from the "Main" office to what became known as the XP Lakewood Tandem.

Old Exchanges: GArfield 1, 5 and 9, HArrison 1, 5 and 9





LONG BEACH XT "TERMINO"


 Original office built by Associated Telephone in the 1920s and became dial when it was cut into service. Office was expanded in the 1990s by Verizon.

Old Exchanges: GEneva 3, 4, 8 and 9, HEmlock 3, 4, 8 and 9



NORWALK



 Original office built in the 1920s by Consolidated Telephone then taken over by Associated Telephone in 1945 then became General Telephone, GTE then Verizon, now Frontier Communications

Old Exchanges: TOrrey 3,4,6,8 and UNiversity 3,4,8



NORWALK XG "ALONDRA"


 Office constructed in the early 1970s to relieve the Norwalk office.



PARAMOUNT


 Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph-->Pacific Bell-->SBC--> now AT&T digital switch. Paramount is the only "Bell" operating company office in the 562 area code and is homed on the Los Angeles 05 "Pleasant" tandem office.



PICO RIVERA


 Also known as the "Rio Hondo" office, was built in the 1960s by General Telephone to relieve the Whittier "Pico" office. Became GTE, then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.



SEAL BEACH


 Original General Telephone office built in the late 1950s to relieve Long Beach XT "Termino" office. Serves Seal Beach and Leisure World. Became GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.

Old Exchanges: GEneva 0 and GEneva 1



WHITTIER XF "SOUTH"


 Office built in the 1950s to relieve the original Whittier "Main" office by Associated Telephone. This office totally replaced the main office in the early 1960s, and now has a GTD5 digital switch. Became GTE then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.

Old Exchanges: OXbow 3, 6 and 8 and OXford 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8.




WHITTIER XG "WHITWOOD"


 Office was built in the 1960s to relieve the La Habra office and serve the growing suburban development. It now has a GTD5 digital switch.



WHITTIER XH "VALLEY VIEW"

Original office built in the 1960s by General Telephone Company to relieve the Whitter XF "South" office. Became GTE, then Verizon and now Frontier Communications

Old Exchanges: WHitney 1 & 4



WHITTIER XJ "PICO"


 Original office built in the 1930s by Consolidated Telephone to serve the Whittier and Pico Rivera areas. Office became an Associated Telephone office in 1948, then General Telephone, GTE, then Verizon and now Frontier Communications.  Office uses a GTD5 digital switch.

Old Exchanges: OXford 2, 5 and 9

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