I sat down with Boothbay Region High School senior Grace Campbell to talk with her about researching the history of The Boston Cane and those from Boothbay Harbor, who were recipients.

Where did your love/interest for history come from?

My love of history stemmed from my love of stories. I’ve always enjoyed hearing stories and learning about different people and their lives. In middle school, I began reading the genre of historical fiction. This turned into reading more non-fiction history books which broadened my view of history.

I’ve had several wonderful history teachers who encouraged my learning about this topic. Hildy Johnson, Lisa Arsenault and Nick Scott have all really inspired me to take on history in fun and exciting ways.

History to me is more than just reading stories. I think it’s a very underappreciated subject because of the stigma around it of just being about memorizing things. When you’re interested in history and delve into it, you learn that it broadens your view and understanding of how we, as the human race, have developed over the years. It helps me create a perspective of how I fit into the story of the places I reside and creates respect for those who have come before me.

My family has played a considerable role in my love of history. I can learn the stories of those who came before me by learning my family history. I’ve always valued the history of the places I reside in. I love being able to look at buildings and know the past, who lived there, and what they did. Learning the story of the places around me and how I now fit into that story is very important to me.

What did you learn while researching about the Boston Cane?

I hadn’t previously known about the tradition of the Boston Post Cane at all so this project was a lot of learning and exploring for me. The Boston Post Cane tradition started in 1909 when the editor of The Boston Post, Edwin A Grozier, mailed out about 700 canes to 700 different towns all over New England. Instructions included how the canes was to be gifted to the oldest man in town in recognition of his status.

In 1930, this award was expanded to include women. In Boothbay Harbor, the first woman to receive the Boston Post Cane was Evelyn Foye in 1974. She was born in 1874 and received the cane just before celebrating her 100th birthday. She died in 1979 at the age of 105. The oldest recipient, who received the cane lived until they were 107. Three recipients lived to this age.

The cane is granted to the oldest person in town and held until their death. Sometimes recipients only have it for a short period of time and other times people hold it for a long time. The shortest time a recipient has held the cane was about a month, while the longest anyone has held the cane was about eight years.

Who were some of the people, who helped/guided you through this project?

I would like to thank Officer Larry Brown for letting me know about this opportunity and helping me find different resources. Mr. Scott, my advisor for this project, checked my website. It was helpful to have another set of eyes on the website so I could make sure it was comprehensive. My parents, Jason and Tricia Campbell, helped me stay on track and encouraged my continued exploration into this topic. This helped me stay motivated while working on it. My mom/principal, Dr. Campbell and assistant principal, Mr. Allan Crocker helped by getting the plaque, which has the names of all the recipients of The Boston Cane on it.

How did it feel to be able to research something like this for the town you live in and recognize those who have received The Boston Cane and their stories?

I had never heard of the Boston Post Cane before, so this was a really interesting project for me to explore. I especially enjoyed reading about the lives of the recipients of the Boston Post Cane. Many of these people lived such colorful and interesting lives. I love that my work can continue to inspire those who would like to know more about the Boston Post Cane and can act as a tool for those who, like me when I started this, knew nothing about the cane or the people. This project helped me learn more about the town I live in and the stories of those that have come before me. It was a really interesting experience and I’m very thankful to have been asked to complete this task.

What are your future plans after you graduate? What would you like to do for a career?

After I graduate from Boothbay Region High School, I will be attending Bowdoin College. Being accepted into Bowdoin has been a pipe dream of mine since I was young. I remember in Elementary school we visited the Arctic Museum and played “Red Rover” on Bowdoin’s quad.

Since then, I had told people that I was going to go there when I was older. It faded for a while as I looked into other colleges, but Bowdoin was always at the back of my mind. When I visited the campus, this past year, I knew I wanted to go there. I could see myself reading in the

Wadsworth-Longfellow Library and dining in Thorne Hall. I knew how difficult it is to be accepted at Bowdoin. I really want to go as they have all the things I need to pursue my interests and Bowdoin was my dream school. When I got my acceptance, via email, I was elated. At first, I thought I had misread the acceptance letter, but then I realized I had really gotten in. Celebrating with my parents and sister is something I will always remember.

At Bowdoin College, I plan to pursue a degree in history. Bowdoin requires its students to enter undecided and to declare their major in their sophomore year, but I know I really would like to work in history. After college, I hope to become a museum curator or archaeologist. I want to help preserve history for future generations of learners so that I may hopefully spark the same interests I have in someone else.

Author’s Note-As a history buff myself, it has been a joy to work with Grace on her Independent Study Project on The Boston Cane. She is an extraordinary young woman, who exceeded anything I could have possibly imagined. I, like others associated with the town of Boothbay Harbor, express our sincere appreciation for everything she has done to recognize all the recipients of The Boston Cane. We wish her well as she begins the next chapter of her life at Bowdoin College.