The Boston Post Gold Canes were distributed to 700 New England towns in 1909 by Edward A. Grozier, publisher of the Boston Post. His intent was to honor the oldest citizens of those towns.  We are proud to carry on that tradition over 100 years later.

The canes are made of ebony from the Congo in Africa, shipped to America as 7 foot logs and made into canes by a leading manufacturer of fine canes in New York. The head of the cane is made of 14-carat gold which is inscribed with the name of the town. Because we treasure our older citizens for their many contributions to our town, state and country, it is only fitting that the cane be of finest materials.

The Sumner cane is housed in the Sumner Town Office. As it is passed along to a new recipient, it is ceremoniously presented with a certificate. After the ceremony, it is returned to the Town Office and the new recipient's name is added to the roster of these honored individuals.

The first person honored with the Boston Post Cane in Sumner was Sharon Robinson in 1929. She held the cane until her death in 1931. It was passed along to Oscar L. Newell in 1936. The list of dates of honored citizens has gaps in years of deaths and presentations. 

The list of recipients and the year of the cane presentations are filled with many familiar family names. Each name has their own history. Each passage of time between ceremonies also has its own history. So, as we celebrate the longevity of Sumner's Boston Post Cane we also celebrate our residents of yesterday, today and tomorrow. 


Sumner's Boston Post Cane Recipients 

• 1909 Harrison Bonney

• 1914 Levi Bryant

• 1915 Gilman Heath 

• 1917 Samuel Crockett

• 1918 Charles B Bonney

• 1918 Hiram Buck

• 1919 John Heald 

• 1920 David Coles

• 1922 Sharon Robinson

• 1931 E. Garrison Doble

• 1933 Oscar G Chandler

• 1935 Oscar L. Newell

• 1941 Isaac Doten

• 1942 H. Elroy Russell 

• 1946 Corry A Bonney 

• 1951 Fannie S Lothrop

• 1954 Ernest L "Tink" Farrar  

• 1961 Anna Glover

• 1967 Percy Redding 

• 1968 Anna Wing

• 1977 Inez Bisbee 

• 1983 Clinton Bisbee

• 1984 L. Morris Bryant

• 1986 Patrick Myers

• 1988 Alfred Morrill

• 1995 Inza Myers

• 1996 Frank Lewis Woodworth

• 2001 Roger J Brigham

• 2007 Erland "Erlon" V. Hammond

• 2009 Anna Mary Holt Woodworth

• 2010 Vernal Andrews

• 2014 Eleanor Andrews

• 2017 Stella Stachaczynski

• 2020 Evelyn Chamberlain

• 2020 Vernon Bradeen ​

• 2021 Ellery Corson 

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​​For additional questions or more information regarding the Boston Post Cane, please contact the Sumner Town Office

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