A World War II veteran is Boothbay’s newest recipient of the Boston Post Cane. Curt West, 97, received the ceremonial cane from Town Manager Dan Bryer and selectmen in a July 3 ceremony in the municipal office.

West was corporal in the U.S. Army stationed in the Pacific Theater during the war. He joined the Maine National Guard in 1939 and was sent to the Pacific after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He also saw action in one of the bloodiest battles at Guadalcanal. 

The cane is given throughout four New England states to towns' oldest residents. Newspaper publisher Edwin A. Grozier started the tradition in 1909. He sent 700 gold-headed ebony canes with the request they be presented to the town’s oldest male citizen. In 1930, eligibility opened to women. 

J.F. Fradley and Co. in New York made the canes. The canes had a 14-carat gold head two inches long, decorated by hand, and a ferruled tip. The head has an inscription which reads “Presented by the Boston Post to the oldest citizen (name of town) to be transmitted.”

Selectmen are the canes’ trustees. No canes were given to Vermont or Connecticut towns. Canes were not given to cities, either. At one time, The Boston Post was considered one of the nation’s leading standard-sized newspapers. However, the paper folded in 1957 due to increased competition from other newspapers, radio and television.