CHELSEA — The town presented its oldest resident, 97-year-old Robert Kenney Baker, the Boston Post Cane Oct. 9.
Due to the loss of the original Boston Post Cane, the town elected to give Baker a replica engraved with his name and date of award.
The cane award started in New England in 1909 as a publicity stunt from the Boston Post newspaper. Originally 700 canes were given to select boards in towns across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Women became eligible as cane recipients in 1930.
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