The Fryeburg Historical Society

 

Boston Gold Post Cane Recipients

 

In The Reporter August 12, 1909 the following article appeared:

A fine gold-headed ebony stick to be always carried by the oldest citizen of each town. The Boston Post has forwarded to the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen a gold-headed ebony cane with the request that it be presented with the compliments of the Boston Post. The idea is that this cane shall be held by the oldest citizen of this town. In case of the decease of the first holder of the cane, it is to be transmitted to the then oldest citizen of the town, and so on.

The gold in the heads of the canes is of 14 karat fineness. It is rolled into sheets, cut to the desired size and soldered in a conical tube, then placed in a sectional steel chuck or form, which admits of its being drawn into the exact shape of the finished head. The tops are first cut into discs, and then soldered to the cane after it has been shaped. They are then filled with a hard composition and "chased," or ornamented by hand after which this composition filling is removed and they are sent to the polishing room for final finishing. The Boston Post Cane is not merely an ornamental cane. It is designed for everyday usage and will last for many years.

In 1909 the Boston Post newspaper distributed over 431 ebony, gold-capped canes among towns in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that asked for one. In 1981 the warrant in the Fryeburg town report asked in Article 40 : To see if the Town will vote to award the Boston Post Gold Cane to the oldest Fryeburg resident who meets the residency requirement of having resided in Town for at least 25 years. It was so voted.

 Those listed below are the recipients of Fryeburg's cane that we have compiled to date. If anyone has documented proof of more recipients, please email us.

 1916 William Durgin

1938 John Perley Barker

Ambrose Leighton

1951 Fred Powers

1952 George Gordon

1957 Fred Haley

1963 Angie Sutherland

1968 Florence Ela

1974 Elizabeth Emery

1978 Augustus H. Smith

1979 Inez Hill

1982 Adeline Dore

1988 Viola Target

1992 Hester Mills

1996 Judy Trott

1999 Fred Lebroke

2000 Norman Annis

2008 Evelyn Beyer