Oldest resident sought to be honored with cane

A typical Boston Post Cane (Courtesy photo)

LEBANON - The Lebanon Board of Selectmen are currently looking for information on its oldest residents that are living in town. The oldest resident in town is presented with the Boston Post Cane, a ceremonial cane.
The Board of Selectmen were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the current Boston Post Cane holder, Beatrice Lord. Lord passed away at the age of 98 after serving her community through many organizations. She died on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the H.D. Goodall Hospital in Sanford.

History of the Boston Post Cane:
On August 2, 1909,  Mr. Edwin A. Grozier, Publisher of the Boston Post, a newspaper, forwarded to the Board of Selectmen in 700 towns (no cities included) in New England a gold-headed ebony cane with the request that it be presented with the compliments of the Boston Post to the oldest male citizen of the town, to be used by him as long as he lives (or moves from the town), and at his death handed down to the next oldest citizen of the town. The cane would belong to the town and not the man who received it.
 The canes were all made by J.F. Fradley and Co., a New York manufacturer, from ebony shipped in seven-foot lengths from the Congo in Africa. They were cut to cane lengths, seasoned for six months, turned on lathes to the right thickness, coated and polished.  They had a 14-carat gold head two inches long, decorated by hand, and a ferruled tip. The head was engraved with the inscription, — Presented by the Boston Post to the oldest citizen of (name of town) — “To Be Transmitted”.
The Board of Selectmen were to be the trustees of the cane and keep it always in the hands of the oldest citizen. Apparently no Connecticut or Vermont towns were included (at one point it was thought that two towns in Vermont had canes, but this turned out to be a bit of a myth).
 In 1924, Mr. Grozier died, and the Boston Post was taken over by his son, Richard, who failed to continue his father’s success and eventually died in a mental hospital.  At one time the Boston Post was considered the nation’s leading standard-sized newspaper in circulation.  Competition from other newspapers, radio and television contributed to the Post’s decline and it went out of business in 1957.
 The custom of the Boston Post Cane took hold in those towns lucky enough to have canes. As years went by some of the canes were lost, stolen, taken out of town and not returned to the Selectmen or destroyed by accident.
 In 1930, after considerable controversy, eligibility for the cane was opened to women as well.
Residents are encouraged to contact the Lebanon Selectmen at (207) 457-6082 with any information on residents in town who are in their 90s so we can determine who is the oldest resident to present the Boston Post Cane to. Please contact Sue Collins, the Selectmen’s Assistant at (207) 457-6082 or lebselectmen@metrocast.net