Kennebunkport woman receives Boston Post Golden Cane

Special to Seacoastonline
·1 min read

KENNEBUNKPORT — Lillian Barlett, 98, of Kennebunkport, received the Boston Post Golden Cane on Nov. 21, an honor bestowed upon the oldest resident in town.

Town officials and family members celebrated with Barlett at her home, where she was presented with the cane, a crown, and flowers from the Church on the Cape Knitters.

Lillian Barlett, 98, of Kennebunkport, received the Boston Post Golden Cane on Nov. 21, an honor bestowed upon the oldest resident in town.
Lillian Barlett, 98, of Kennebunkport, received the Boston Post Golden Cane on Nov. 21, an honor bestowed upon the oldest resident in town.

Barlett and her late husband Carl raised five children, and all five, along with a grandson and sons-in-law, were on hand for the presentation of the cane.

New England’s Boston Post Golden Cane dates back to 1909 when Edwin Grozier, publisher of the Boston Post, envisioned honoring 700 of the "oldest residents" in towns across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Grozier commissioned 700 ebony canes topped with 14-karat gold. At first, only men received this honor, but women joined them in 1930. The town owns the cane and takes it back when the honoree dies.

'Love Comes First': Why Barbara and Jenna Bush made a special stop in Kennebunkport

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunkport woman receives Boston Post Golden Cane