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Boston Post Cane

Town of Bradley Boston Cane Recipient

Beatrice Wentworth

Boston Cane Presentation December 6, 2022

In 1909, the Boston Post newspaper, which closed in 1956, created the tradition of the Boston Post Cane. As a promotional event, the paper distributed 700 gold-tipped canes to towns that had a population of over 500 in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The cane was to be awarded to honor each town’s oldest resident. Originally, the Boston Post Cane was to be awarded to the oldest male resident of a town. In 1930, that expanded when the cane was awarded to the first oldest female resident of a town. Although there were over 700 canes originally distributed, over the years many have become lost and misplaced. Currently, there are an estimated to be 435 of those canes known to be in existence. The cane is made out of ebony wood from Africa and has a solid gold tip.
 
When the Town moved to the current Municipal Building in 2000, Bradley’s Boston Cane was found in the attic of the village fire station. Since that time the Cane has been presented to Arlene Jackson in 2000, Beatrice Rowell in 2003, Bernice Brooks in 2005, Margaret Brooks in 2008, and Arthur Knapp in 2017.
 
It is with great pleasure that The Town of Bradley presents the Boston Cane to Beatrice Wentworth, who turned 92 years young in October.