SOPEX is one of the remaining shows in the Pacific Northwest that still hosts competitive exhibits (as well as fun exhibits!). It is our pleasure to share this year's major award winners, and encourage you to exhibit with us next year at SOPEX 2026. Apologies in advance for the photo quality issues due to fluorescent lights and highly reflective exhibit panels.
"The Archipelago of Tui Tui of the Joyous Lake is an independant nation in Lake Union of Seattle, Washington. It was liberated in 1982 annd became its own independent nation in 1985. The two rulers, known as Co-Tyees, are "Dogfish" Robby Rudine and "Dragonfly" Janet Yoder."
"The Idaho Territory was established on March 4, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln from portions of Washington and Dakota Territories. Idaho's name was made up as many names have been and was thought to be a native Shoshone name for "Gem of the Mountain" but was proven not to be so."
"The exhibit will tell of some of the major crises that resulted in many of the requent overprintings, provisional issues and re-issues."
"During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, route agents were post office employees who accepted mail on railroad and steamboat routes. These post office employees were known as Route Agengs. Station Agent Postmarks are a subcategory of Route Agent Postmarks. This exhibit defines Station Agent Postmarks as postmarks used by railroad route agents that include the name of the railroad and the station and sometimes just the station that accepted the mail..."
"Katanga had been a province within the Belgian Congo since 1900. On July 1, 1960, the Belgian Congo gained independence from Belgium. Katanga always had a bit of an independent identity from the rest of the Belgian Congo, as illustrated by postal history shown on page three of the exhibit. Tribal identities and and territories had been ignored by the original colonizers resulting in the secession of Katanga in 1960 and the subsequent difficulties of the region to this day."
"Tokelau Island is in the South Pacific 250 miles North of the Samoan Islands, previously known as the Union Islands until 1946, with a population of 1500 people. Tokelau means North Wind..."
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: OREGON EXPRESS COMPANIES - LARRY MADDUX
"Oregon's government mail service before 1870's was much criticized, and incompetency opened the door to competition from private sector. Express Companies charged a higher fee than the U.S. Post office, but provided faster and more reliable mail services. When new settlements sprang up virtually overnight near a newly discovered gold strike often there was no government mail service for a considerable period of time, and in these cases there was no one but the express companies for communication with the other towns..."
