[CQ-Contest] Who Is the Oldest?

[Ward Silver]

Such a subject is sure to generate some discussion :-)  The specific subject is "which state QSO party is the oldest?"  In the last issue of the Contest Update (www.arrl.org/contest/update) I printed the claim of California's QSO Party to being the oldest of the lot.  Subsequently, a question was raised about that - is the Pennsylvania QSO Party older?  I don't know - and possibly there are others with a claim to the title.

Now - let's be sure we distinguish between "longest continuously running state QSO party" and "first state QSO party".  I'd kinda like to know both.  This year is CQP's 45th running - that's pretty good!  Can any others match or exceed that?  And when was the very first state QSO party, anyway, regardless of activity since then?  And no regional or local contests - it has to be a contest aimed at a single state (yes, territories are OK, too, you KL7's and KH6's).

An interesting question - let the games begin!

73, Ward N0AX
Editor - Contest Update