George Whiting Receives Boston Post Cane
By J.D. O’Gara
On November 22, 2024, 100-year-old Mr. George Whiting, native of Bellingham and lifelong Bellingham resident, became the holder of Bellingham’s Boston Post Cane. Mr. Whiting was presented with the cane by members of the Bellingham Historical Commission. Members of his family attended the ceremony, held at the Bellingham Public Library.
As a younger man, he’d dismissed the honor as something “for old people,” Whiting kidded.
“I’d like to thank everybody who had a part in this. Thank you so much. It’s a tremendous honor, really. I couldn’t believe that I’d ever be holding the Boston Post Cane, and it will be in my possession … until when,” Whiting added, jokingly.
According to information provided to the Bulletin by Bernadette Rivard, “In 1909 the Boston Post newspaper established a long-standing tradition to honor the most senior resident of each town in their distribution district. 700 canes, made from African black ebony with a knob fashioned from gold, were sent to Selectmen of various New England towns with the instructions to present it to their oldest male resident.
The resident was to be the ‘keeper of the cane’ until his death, and then it would be passed on to the next oldest resident.
In 1930, women became eligible to receive the cane. Bellingham continued this tradition for many years, in fact the tradition outlasted the newspaper.
According to an article in the Winter 2018 issue of the Crimpville Comments, the Historical Commission’s newsletter, the cane was lost for many years and the tradition passed away. The cane was presented to Proctor Prosperity Cook when he was 93 years of age. Mr. Cook died in a car accident on December 3, 1940. He had the cane with him at the time of the accident. His great-grandson, Carleton Gaskill, Jr. located the cane 35 years later and presented it to the Bellingham Historical Commission.
Due to its historical significance, the Historical Commission no longer presents the original cane, but does honor that person and the tradition, by presenting this replica, which looks very, very much like the original!”
Past recipients of the cane, and members of the Bellingham Historical Commission believe the list is in the order that the cane was awarded:
Alanson Bates, John H. Eaton, Patrick T. Allen, Edwin Migneault, William Byron, George C. McMaster, Joseph Hoar, Alonzo Whitney, Marion H. Williams, Philomena Guillet, Eugune Rhodes, Melissa Holbrook, Proctor P. Cook… lost for 35 years… Glendolene Lee, Mary Zajak, Charlotte Olleberger, Cecile Dalpe, Mary “May” Vater, Mabel Massart, Mary Leveille, Joitiben Patel, Mary Markey (2019-2020), and Rolande Dubois (2020-2024).
