On August 2, 1909, Edwin A. Grozier, Publisher of the Boston Post newspaper sent 700 gold-headed ebony canes to 700 towns in New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The canes were given as a publicity stunt with the request that they be given to the town’s oldest living male citizen. The custom was expanded to include the community’s oldest women in 1930.

500 towns in New England including New Boston, NH still carry on the tradition. On July 23, 2020 the Boston Cane was presented to my Mother.

New Boston selectman Joe Constance spoke about the tradition in a brief ceremony.  Originally the canes were meant to be transmitted to new recipients after the citizen died or left the town. However, in practice most of original canes were lost or never returned.

Joe is holding the cane from the New Boston Historical Society. Betty will receive a replica at a later date.

Betty commented that her only accomplishment was being able to stay alive for a long time. However that is a modest claim. She read to school children at the Library and volunteers at the Historical Society.  In spite of threatening weather, a crowd of masked town citizens gathered to watch the ceremony,