August 2nd, 12:00 noon.
Kingston Plains
On August 1, 2026, during Heritage Days, the Kingston Historical Museum and the Town of Kingston will award the Boston Post Cane to the town’s oldest resident, in keeping with the purpose and history of the Cane. The ceremony will take place at 12:00 noon on the Kingston Plains and the honoree will be announced at that time.
Last year the museum and the town revived the tradition of awarding the cane by honoring long-time Kingston resident Lindsay Patrick Cunnigham. He lived to be 99 years old. He is survived by his family and wife Jean, to whom he was married for 75 years.
A 117 Year-old Tradition
The Boston Post Cane award has a long history in New England’s small towns as a revered recognition of distinguished age and a life well lived. It was created in 1909 by the daily newspaper Boston Post as a publicity stunt. According the Boston Post Cane Information Center, publisher Edwin A. Grozier sent to the Board of Selectmen in 700 small towns “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, and when he dies or moves from town, it would be handed down to the next oldest citizen of the town.”
After 100 years of publication, the Boston Post closed in 1956, but their publicity stunt has become a long-held, honored recognition in small New England towns.