While this blog post does not answer when the phone company started using telephone numbers instead of names, it does answer when the major phone company in the Lykens Valley started requiring that calls be requested by number rather than by the name of the individual being called.
In 1936, residents and businesses in the Lykens Valley who had telephones, picked up the phone and talked to the operator who asked them who they wished to speak to. A name was given and the call was connected. However, on May 22, 1936, a new policy was instituted by the Wiconisco Telephone and Telegraph Company where the number of the person being called had to given instead of their name. In order to determine the number, a telephone directory was created by the company, which is noted in the advertisement above that appeared in the Lykens Standard on May 22, 1936.
Also appearing in that same newspaper was a article explaining the policy change.
TELEPHONE COMPANY WILL REQUIRE ALL CALLS BY NUMBER
Robert A. Smith, manager of the Wiconisco Telephone and Telegraph Company, in a recent interview stressed the deadline for the new telephone directory which is to go to press after May 23rd. The new directory will be a more localized one for the town [Lykens] than has been the case in the past. An endeavor is being made to so step-up the local service that such delay will be eliminated. This will necessitate the giving of numbers instead of names in the future. It is a great handicap where subscribers give the operator a name instead of the number in calling parties. The only time that this sort of thing is permissible is in the case of fire of an accident. Many communities smaller than Lykens or Wiconisco refuse to give calls where names are used. The telephone company in asking for this cooperation do so only to speed up the service.
The new directory will greatly aid in finding numbers the local manager promises.
May 23rd is also the deadline for merchants to be included in the Classified Section of the new directory. Those interested should see the Telephone Ad appearing in these columns.
_______________________________________
News article and ad from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.