Can you imagine what you got when you when you picked up the telephone in 1920 and asked for Lakeside 10-W? Well, the switchboard operator connected you to the Medina Grocery, of course.

Telephones may have first come to the Eastside in Issaquah when Sunset Telephone Company began operation in 1900, but Bellevue was not far behind. The first recorded phone line was a residence in Medina in 1907, and the Medina Grocery is listed in the 1916 Seattle Directory.

Not so long ago the prefix to your phone number was considered a status symbol to demonstrate your neighborhood. In 1916, the prefix “Lakeside” covered the entire Bellevue area, from Medina to Midlakes. Kirkland, by contrast, had four prefixes: Main, Red, Black, and Farmers.

Heritage Corner is a weekly feature in the Bellevue Reporter. Material is provided by the Eastside Heritage Center. For more information call 425.450.1049.