The four digit phone number is a while back but not that far. Living in
Manassas VA in about 1973, local phone calls still used a four digit number.

"alexy"

During college (1980 through 1984) I worked in the Bureau of Business Research
at West Virginia University. For some reason a project was being done that
required collecting and reviewing the telephone books from all of the
independent telephone companies in the state. I was amazed at the number and
small size of the independent telephone companies still operating. My favoeite
one had a one page typed "phone book". The first number listed was "The Pay
Phone". No location was given or apparently needed. I assume everyone knew
where "The Pay Phone" was located. Everyone had a 3 digit telephone number. I
believe that this was in 1983. I never did understand how you called someone
from outside their little telephone company switch.

The community where my mother grew up got outside telephone service from the
C&P Telephone Company during the late 1960s. Until then, the only telephones
were on a single wire to which all phones were connected. There were NO
telephone numbers - you knew whether the call was for you based upon the number
and length of the rings - still used hand cranks to generate the rings, too.
One person at the end of the line had a connection to an outside telephone and
could somehow connect it into the local "peanut line" if someone needed to make
or receive a call with the outside world.
Dave Hall