Pacific Northwest Bell
Encyclopedia
Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was an AT&T
majority-owned Bell System
company that provided local telecommunications services in Oregon
, Washington, and northern Idaho
. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was formed on July 1, 1961 when it was spun off from the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company
. On January 1, 1984, Pacific Northwest Bell was split from AT&T as ordered in the settlement of United States v. AT&T
and became a subsidiary of the newly formed Regional Bell Operating Company
U S WEST, Inc.
Pacific Northwest Bell became defunct when U S WEST consolidated its three main subsidiaries, forming U S WEST Communications, Inc. on January 1, 1991.
In 1899 the original company was reincorporated as the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company and continued under that name until 1917 when the Sunset Company (which had grown to provide service throughout Washington and northern Idaho) merged with the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company.
On July 1, 1961, The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph split and Pacific Northwest Bell (PNB) was born. Pacific Northwest Bell included Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho (Southern Idaho was served by Mountain Bell). The new company's first major job was to build the world's most advanced telephone service to serve the Seattle World's Fair which was scheduled to open in less than ten months (April 21, 1962.) This was accomplished.
AT&T
On January 1, 1984, Pacific Northwest Bell was transferred from AT&T to U S WEST. The company continued to use the logo it adopted in 1969 but also used a variation which included the tagline "A U S WEST Company".
Seven years later, on January 1, 1991, Pacific Northwest Bell ceased to exist when it was merged into Mountain Bell, which was renamed U S WEST Communications the same day. The Pacific Northwest region went from having been a part of Pacific Bell
before 1961 to becoming a part of Mountain Bell.
Prior to 1984, AT&T held 89.3% in Pacific Northwest Bell.
.
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
majority-owned Bell System
Bell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
company that provided local telecommunications services in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Washington, and northern Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was formed on July 1, 1961 when it was spun off from the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company
Pacific Bell
The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
. On January 1, 1984, Pacific Northwest Bell was split from AT&T as ordered in the settlement of United States v. AT&T
United States v. AT&T
United States v. AT&T was the antitrust case in the United States that led to the 1984 Bell System divestiture, the breakup of the old American Telephone & Telegraph into the new, seven regional Bell operating companies s and the much smaller new AT&T.In the 1970s, the Federal Communications...
and became a subsidiary of the newly formed Regional Bell Operating Company
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
U S WEST, Inc.
US West
U S WEST, Inc. was one of seven Regional Bell Operating Companies , created in 1983 under the Modification of Final Judgement , a case related to the antitrust breakup of AT&T...
Pacific Northwest Bell became defunct when U S WEST consolidated its three main subsidiaries, forming U S WEST Communications, Inc. on January 1, 1991.
Sunset Telephone & Telegraph Company
On March 7, 1883, the Sunset Telephone-Telegraph Company opened for business with 90 subscribers. This first office was in rented space in the Western Union Telegraph office. Weeks later the company moved into its own building at the corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Street.In 1899 the original company was reincorporated as the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company and continued under that name until 1917 when the Sunset Company (which had grown to provide service throughout Washington and northern Idaho) merged with the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company.
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph and Pacific Northwest Bell
Telephones began to crop up all over Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho. The first Seattle-Tacoma to Portland toll line was built in 1893. Assorted independent telephone companies set up competitive business throughout Oregon and Washington. With competition both the Bell and independent companies found it hard to do business and make money. Under the leadership of J. P. Morgan, the nation's most powerful banker, the Bell companies around the country began to buy out their major competitors. By 1924 The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company had acquired most of the independents' property along the Pacific Coast. Headquartered in San Francisco, the Bell operating company served customers in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho.On July 1, 1961, The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph split and Pacific Northwest Bell (PNB) was born. Pacific Northwest Bell included Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho (Southern Idaho was served by Mountain Bell). The new company's first major job was to build the world's most advanced telephone service to serve the Seattle World's Fair which was scheduled to open in less than ten months (April 21, 1962.) This was accomplished.
AT&TAmerican Telephone & TelegraphAT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
breakup
On January 1, 1984, Pacific Northwest Bell was transferred from AT&T to U S WEST. The company continued to use the logo it adopted in 1969 but also used a variation which included the tagline "A U S WEST Company".Seven years later, on January 1, 1991, Pacific Northwest Bell ceased to exist when it was merged into Mountain Bell, which was renamed U S WEST Communications the same day. The Pacific Northwest region went from having been a part of Pacific Bell
Pacific Bell
The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
before 1961 to becoming a part of Mountain Bell.
Prior to 1984, AT&T held 89.3% in Pacific Northwest Bell.
Headquarters
Pacific Northwest Bell's headquarters was located at 1600 7th Avenue (also known as 1600 Bell Plaza), in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.