Noyes presented with Boston Post Cane
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — In recognition of being the eldest resident of Dover-Foxcroft, 101-year-old Corinne Noyes was presented with the Boston Post Cane by town officials and the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society during a ceremony on Dec. 8 in the solarium at the Hibbard Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THE MOST SENIOR CITIZEN OF DOVER-FOXCROFT — 101-year-old Corinne Noyes was presented with Dover-Foxcroft’s Boston Post Cane, signifying her as the community’s oldest resident, during a ceremony Dec. 8 at the Hibbard Skilled Nursing Center. Pictured with Noyes is, from left, her great-granddaughter Heather Wilder, granddaughter Marnie Lamson, daughter Linda Anderson and great-granddaughter Katlyn Engstrom.
With four generations of her family present, Noyes was given a pair of framed certificates by Town Clerk Lisa Niles and Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society President Mary Annis — both members of the community’s Boston Post Cane committee. One certificate recognizes Noyes as the Boston Cane recipient and the other signifies that she is a centurion resident of town.
“This certifies you as the oldest resident of Dover-Foxcroft, born in June of 1913,” Niles said. “Dover-Foxcroft is proud to continue the tradition of honoring our oldest resident with the presentation of this cane.”
Annis presented Noyes with the Boston Post Cane, which will be housed by the historical society and a replica will be given to the recipient.
Noyes was born on June 23, 1913 in Fort Kent. Her family moved to Dover-Foxcroft when she was 10 as her father had a new job with the railroad. She is very proud of the fact that she had lived in the family home for 87 years.
Noyes was married for 62 years to her dear husband Raymond C. Noyes who passed away in 2000. The two worked for many years at the Stowell MacGregor spool factory until it closed in 1964, then they both went to work at Pride Manufacturing.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
HIGHEST SENIOR STATUS — Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society President Mary Annis presents the Dover-Foxcroft Boston Cane to Corinne Noyes on Dec. 8 at the Hibbard Skilled Nursing Center in Dover-Foxcroft. Looking on is Town Clerk Lisa Niles, as Annis and Niles also presented Noyes with a pair of framed certificates.
Past Boston Post Cane honorees in Dover-Foxcroft include Eva D. Smith, who turned 100 in 2000; Edith M. Pinkerton, on the occasion of her 100th birthday in 2002; Dorothy F. Greenlaw, who turned 100 in 2005; Bernard C. Bishop, who celebrated his 100th birthday in 2007; Mary (Hughes) Stuart in 2008 soon after she turned 101; Leona LaPointe Crawford, who received the cane a few days after she celebrated her 100th birthday in 2010; Alice Shepardson, who was presented with the cane at the age of 101 in 2012; and Madelyn Betts, shortly before turning 102 in June of this year.
The cane was manufactured especially to be the Boston Post Cane for Dover-Foxcroft by J.F Fradley & Co. of New York out of carefully selected ebony from the African Congo. The head is made of 14 karat rolled gold engraved with the words “Presented by the Boston Post to the oldest citizen of Dover-Foxcroft.”
The tradition of presenting a cane to the oldest member of a community started in 1909 when Boston Post publisher Edwin A. Grozier forwarded 700 of the items to towns across New England. According to the Boston Post Cane website (ttp://canequest.com/boston-post.asp), the 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, to be used by him as long as he lives (or moves from the town), and at his death handed down to the next oldest citizen of the town. The cane would belong to the town and not the man who received it. In 1930 cane eligibility was extended to women.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CANE RECIPIENT — Corinne Noyes holds the Boston Post Cane for the town of Dover-Foxcroft.