At age 105, soon to be 106, Sarah Cammarata is Medway’s oldest resident. At a ceremony on March 6, she was awarded the Boston Post Cane. 

The cane has been a New England tradition since it was established in 1909 by the Boston Post newspaper as part of a marketing gimmick. Initially intended to be awarded to the oldest male in each town, women became eligible in 1930. For those towns who still have a cane, it is awarded to the town’s oldest resident. 

Family, friends and Medway town officials gathered on March 6 to honor Sarah Cammarata, center, as the town's oldest resident at 105 years old. Photo credit: Theresa Knapp

Sarah lived by herself until she was 90 years old (and drove until she was 100) when she moved to Medway to live with her daughter and Roseann and son-in-law Kent Shorette. Their home was the site of a gathering of family, friends, and town officials which began with the official presentation of the Boston Post Cane to Sarah by Medway Historical Commission Vice Chair Paul Russell. 

Upon receiving the award, partygoers asked if Sarah had any advice for them. “Keep dancing,” she said with a laugh. When asked what her favorite food is, she said, “I love pasta - pasta and cannoli, of course” - because she grew up on Hanover Street in Boston’s North End - and her favorite drink is a “gin martini, bone dry, three olives.” 

Sarah says some of her favorite things to do are to sing (including “You Make Me Feel So Young” which she sang to the crowd), dancing (she was a competitive ballroom dancer), playing Bingo (she plays to win), and spending days at a supportive day group at both the Bellingham and Medfield Senior Centers. She also enjoys Saturday evenings at Medway Café. 

Roseann says her mother is a happy person who does not judge others, likes to laugh, and can be a bit sassy at times. "She comes from a lot of spunky ladies; my grandmother was very spunky, too." 

The afternoon concluded with a review of old photos, taking new photos, more singing and dancing, and cake.

Inscription on top of cane, “PRESENTED BY The Boston Post to the Oldest Citizen of Medway. TO BE TRANSMITTED”

Sarah Cammarata will celebrate her 106th birthday in June.

Boston Post Cane: Origins of the tradition 

On August 2, 1909,  Mr. Edwin A. Grozier, Publisher of the Boston Post, a newspaper, forwarded to the Board of Selectmen in 700 towns* (no cities included) in New England a 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.

The canes were all made by J.F. Fradley and Co., a New York manufacturer, from ebony shipped in seven-foot lengths from the Congo in Africa.  They were cut to cane lengths, seasoned for six months, turned on lathes to the right thickness, coated and polished.  They had a 14-carat gold head two inches long, decorated by hand, and a ferruled tip.  The head was engraved with the inscription, — Presented by the Boston Post to the oldest citizen of (name of town)  — “To Be Transmitted”. The Board of Selectmen were to be the trustees of the cane and keep it always in the hands of the oldest citizen.  Apparently no Connecticut or Vermont towns were included (at one point it was thought that two towns in Vermont had canes, but this turned out to be a bit of a myth).

The custom of the Boston Post Cane took hold in those towns lucky enough to have canes. As years went by some of the canes were lost, stolen, taken out of town and not returned to the Selectmen or destroyed by accident.

In 1930, after considerable controversy, eligibility for the cane was opened to women as well.

For more information, visit www.bostonpostcane.org 

Source: www.bostonpostcane.org/origins-of-the-tradition