Area Code 661

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CALIFORNIA STATE TELEPHONE CENTRAL OFFICE'S

AREA CODE 661

Area code 213, is one of the original California area codes established in October 1947 under the North American Numbering Plan. When implemented in 1947, it covered the bottom third of California from the Central Valley down to the Mexico border. It is interesting to note that when established the rotary phone was just coming into use and to keep the number of clicks" down to a minimum when long-distance dialing, Los Angeles was given six "clicks" (Each number represented a click, 1=1, 2=2, and so forth). Los Angeles by 1947 had become the third largest city in the United States, so had the privilege of being assigned a low "click" number. The other two cities that received low area codes were Chicago (312) and New York (212). Due to the tremendous growth that the Los Angeles region experienced along with increasing use of telephone driving devices (fax machines, cell phones and pagers) the 213 area code has been split five times, now being reduced to just a few dense square miles of the downtown Los Angeles region. The area code 213 has become one of the smallest in the nation and currently serves about 2.2 million

ACTON	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph office built in the 1970s, to relieve the long lines from the Palmdale office in this rural horse ranch community. Became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Remote switch hosted by microwave from the Palmdale office.
AGUA DULCE	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1970s to relieve the Newhall office and reduce long line issues. Became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Remote switch hosted from the Palmdale office.
ARVIN	Original Pacific Telephone office became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Serving the southeastern farming region of the San Joaquin Valley. Remote switch hosted by the Bakersfield 12 "Fairview" office. Old Exchanges: SPring 4
BAKERSFIELD 11 "TEMPLE"	Original Central California Telephone office built in the 1920s to serve the Mugunden and southern Bakersfield areas. Became Pacific Telephone in the 1960s then Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. The Temple office, now serves as the tandem office for the Bakersfield region. Old Exchanges: EMpire 6 and ROchester 7
BAKERSFIELD 12 "FAIRVIEW"	Originally constructed by the Central California Telephone Company in the 1900s and bought by Pacific Telephone in the late 1960s. This office was once considered a Class 3 "Primary" office in the Direct Distance Dialing switching hierarchy, with direct connection to the Los Angeles Sectional Office. Host office to two Bakersfield remote offices as well. Old Exchanges: FAirview 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7
BAKERSFIELD 13 "COLUMBUS"	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1960s to relieve the Bakersfield 12 office. Became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Old Exchanges: TRinity 1
BAKERSFIELD 14 "TEMPLE"	Original Pacific Telephone office built to relieve Bakersfield 11 and 12 offices. Became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Old Exchanges: TEmple 1 and 2
BAKERSFIELD 15 "METTLER"	Original office built in the 70s to provide service to the farming communities of Mettler and Wheeler Ridge and the Interstate 5 and Highway 99 interchange (Grapevine). Remote switch hosted by the Bakersfield 19 office.
BAKERSFIELD 17 "ROSEDALE"	Office built in the late 1970s by Pacific Telephone to relieve Bakersfield 12 and serve the growing residential and commercial developments to the west of the city.
BAKERSFIELD 19 "NOMAD"	Newer office built by Pacific Bell in the late 1980s to relieve Bakersfield West and Temple and to serve the new Seven Oaks development. Nice aesthetic design for a central office. Serves as host office to numerous remotes in the southern Bakersfield area and Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
BEAR VALLEY SPRINGS	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1970s to serve the private mountain community of Bear Valley Springs located in the Tehachapi Mountains. Note snow, it does get cold up here. Remote switch hosted from the Tehachapi office.
BERRENDA MESA	Small, remote switch built by General Telephone in the 1970s to replace manual toll stations in the rural farming area of Berrenda Mesa and Bitterwater Valley. Office became GTE and now Verizon. Office is a SLC-5 remote switch hosed from the Taft office.
BUTTONWILLOW	Office originally installed by Kern Mutual Telephone Company in the 1950s. Became General Telephone, then GTE and now Verizon. Remote switch hosted by microwave from the Taft office. Old Exchanges: POplar 4
CASTAIC	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1970s to relieve the Newhall office and provide phone service to the growing areas of Castaic and Stevenson Ranch. Office has had numerous additions over the last twenty years.
CUYAMA	Office was built by Kern Mutual Telephone Company in the 1950s to replace long lines and manual toll stations from the Maricopa office serving the Cuyama Valley. Office became General Telephone then GTE and now Verizon. Remote switch hosted by microwave from the Taft office. Old Exchanges: SOUthfield 6
DELANO	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1950s to serve the growing farming community of Delano. Became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T.
EARLIMART	Original Pacific Telephone office became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Remote switch hosted from the Shafter office. Old Exchanges: VIctor 9
FELLOWS	Office was built by Kern Mutual Telephone Company in the 1950s to replace long lines from the Taft office and serve the growing oil field developments. Office became General Telephone then GTE and now Verizon. Remote switch hosted from the Taft office. Old Exchanges: ROger 8.
FRAZIER PARK	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1960s to relieve the long lines from the Lebec 11 office. Office serves the mountain community of Frazier Park. Remote switch hosted from the Bakersfield 19 office. Old Exchanges: CHestnut 5
LAKE HUGHES	Office built by General Telephone became GTE and now Verizon. Remote switch hosted from the Lancaster office.
LAKE LOS ANGELES	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1970s to relieve the manual toll stations served from the Little Rock office. Serves the rural community of Lake Los Angeles in the Big Butte rate center located in the Mojave desert. Became Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T.
LAMONT	Original Central California Telephone Compnay office built in the 1950s to relieve the Bakersfield 11 office and Arvin office to serve the rural faming communities of Lamont and Weedpatch. Became Pacific Telephone then Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Old Exchanges: FUlton 3 and THornwall 5
LANCASTER	General Telephone office built to serve the City of Lancaster, in the Antelope Valley. Became GTE then Verizon. Old Exchanges: WHitehall 2 and 8
LANCASTER XF "ANTELOPE"	Original office built by General Telephone in the 1960s to relieve the Lancaster office and replace manual toll stations in the remote and rural Mojave desert. Became GTE and now Verizon. Old Exchanges: WHitehall 6
LEBEC 11	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph office built in the 1940s to relieve the long lines from the Bakersfield 11 office and serve the Interstate 5 Grapevine corridor as well as the Tejon Ranch. Became Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T. Remote switch hosted from the Bakersfield 19 office Old Exchanges: CHestnut 8
LEBEC 12 "PINE MOUNTAIN"	Newer office built by Pacific Telephone in 1971, to serve the private community of Pine Mountain Club located in the Los padres National Forest. Office became Pacific Bell then SBC and now AT&T. Remote switch hosted from the Bakersfield 19 office.
LEONA VALLEY	Office built by Pacific Telephone to relieve the Palmdale office and provide service to the growing ranching communities within the Leona Valley. Remote switch hosted from the Palmdale office.
LITTLE ROCK	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1960s to relieve the Palmdale office and replace manual toll stations in the Hi-Vista and El Mirage areas. Became Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Old Exchanges WInsor 4
LOST HILLS	Office built in the early 1970s by General Telephone to relieve Buttonwillow and McKittrick office while also providing service to the growing oil field development. Became GTE now Verizon. Remote switch hosted from the Taft office.
MARICOPA	Original Kern Mutual Telephone office serving the far southwestern region of the San Joaquin Valley. Became General Telephone, then GTE and now Verizon. Remote switch hosted from the Taft office. Old Exchanges: ROger 9
McFARLAND	Original California Telephone Company office. Became General Telephone, GTE and now Verizon. Serves the farming community of McFarland. Remote switch hosted by microwave from the Taft office.
McKITTRICK	Original Kern Mutual Telephone office built in the 1950s to relieve Taft and provide for the growing oil field telephone usage. Remote switch hosted from the Taft office. Old Exchanges: POrter 2
MOJAVE	Original Pacific Telephone & Telegraph office built in the 1950s to relieve the long lines from the Palmdale office and serve the growing mining industry in the region. Became Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T. Mojave was once considered a Class 4 "Toll Center" under the Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy plan with direct trunk groups to the Sherman Oaks Class 3 Primary Center. Remote switch hosted from the Tehachapi office. Old Exchanges: VAlley 4
NEWHALL	Original Pacific Telephone office built in the 1959 to serve the growing residential development of the Newhall Ranch. Also serves as host office to a few of the remote switches into eastern Ventura County. Newhall was once considered a Class 4 "Toll Center" under the Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy was direct trunk groups to the Sherman Oaks Class 3 Primary Center.
OILDALE	Original Pacific Telephone office built to serve the northern Bakersfield community of Oildale. Became Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T. Old Exchanges: EXport 9
PALMDALE 01	Original Southern California Telephone Company office built in the 1920s to serve the Palmdale region in the Antelope Valley. Became Pacific Telephone then Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T. Office became dial in the late 1950s. Also serves as host office for numerous remotes in the area. Old Exchanges: WInsor 7
PALMDALE 11 "EAST"	Built Newer office built in the late 1980s by Pacific Bell to relieve Palmdale 01 and support the residential and commercial growth along the Highway 138 corridor. Became SBC and now AT&T.
QUARTZ HILL	Built Office built by General Telephone to support the growth in the Quartz Hill and northern Antelope Valley areas and to relive the Lancaster office. Old Exchanges: WHitehall 3
SAUGUS	Built by Pacific Telephone in the early 1970s to relieve the Newhall office and provide capacity for the explosive residential growth in the region. Became Pacific Bell, then SBC and now Verizon.
SHAFTER	Original Central California Telephone office, became Pacific Telephone then Pacific Bell then SBC and now AT&T. Serves the faming community of Shafter along the Highway 99 corridor. Office is host to a few remote switches within the lower San Joaquin Valley. Old Exchanges: PIoneer 6
SOLEMINT	Built by Pacific Telephone in the mid 1970s to relieve the Saugus office and extend services in the Eastern Exchange Area. Became Pacific Bell, then SBC and now Verizon.
TAFT	Built Original Kern Mutual Telephone Company office built in the 1920s during the San Joaquin oil boom. Office enlarged by General Telephone Company becoming both a tandem office and host office to numerous remotes in the region. Became GTE and now Verizon. Was once considered a Class 4 "Toll Center" under the Direct Distance Dialing hierarchy plan with direct trunk connections to the AT&T Bakersfield Class 3 Primary Center. Old Exchanges: ROger 3 and 5
TEHACHAPI	Built by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph in the 1920s to serve the railroad sidings along the infamous Tehachapi Loop on their way up the grade from Bakersfield to the High Desert. Became Pacific Telephone then Pacific Bell, SBC and now AT&T. Office serves as host to numerous remotes in the Antelope Valley and western Mojave desert areas. Old Exchanges: TAylor 2
WALKER BASIN	Office built in the late 1970s by Pacific Telephone to serve the rural communities of Loraine, Havilah, and the Walker Basin north of Tehachapi in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Remote switch hosted by microwave from the Tehachapi office.
WASCO	Original Central California Telephone Office. Became Pacific Telephone then Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T. Remote Switch hosted from the Shafter office. Old Exchanges: PLateau 8

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