Greenfield’s oldest resident, Dorothy Wright, 99, received the Boston Post Gold Cane, or actually a pin and certificate, at the Greenfield Gardens, where she has lived for the last 18 years. Greenfield Mayor Bill Martin and Lindley Wilson of the Greenfield Historical Society made the presentation at the “high rise.”
Greenfield’s oldest resident, Dorothy Wright, 99, received the Boston Post Gold Cane, or actually a pin and certificate, at the Greenfield Gardens, where she has lived for the last 18 years. Greenfield Mayor Bill Martin and Lindley Wilson of the Greenfield Historical Society made the presentation at the “high rise.” Credit: Recorder Staff/Paul Franz—Paul Franz

GREENFIELD — After she received the Boston Post Cane, 99-year-old Dorothy Wright, a woman filled with wit and charm, danced.

The gold-headed cane is traditionally given to the the oldest residents of the state’s cities and towns. Wright attributes her long life to years spent in dancing school and having a good upbringing, as well as a good husband.

When Mayor William Martin told her on Thursday afternoon she would be receiving the Boston Post cane, she was surprised.

“Oh! I’ve heard of that,” she said. “No kidding, there must be somebody older than me… You mean in the whole town? I can’t believe this.”

The mayor and members of the Historical Society of Greenfield visited Wright at home at Greenfield Acres on Congress Street to celebrate her long life.

“She’s a character, she’s just as bright and shiny as she could be,” said Lindley Wilson of the Historical Society. “She is in good health and I think it’s because of her outlook on life… You can catch her sense of humor, I think that contributes to her longevity.”

When her eyes were still good enough, she loved to knit and play bridge. Now, she enjoys sitting by the big, sunny window in her apartment, watching people go by.

Born Aug. 22, 1916, in Lynn, her father worked at the railway. She grew up pampered as an only child. In her youth she loved to memorize poetry and enjoyed performing at church suppers and women’s clubs.

In the 1950s, she leased a house and some land and started a private preschool and kindergarten near Concord. There wasn’t any public preschool or nursery at that time and she had a young child, so she leased the property and hired four teachers. Her husband worked as a farm manager.

After retirement, she enjoyed volunteering as a driver for seniors, helping them get to appointments and running errands. She arrived in Greenfield 17 years ago to be closer to one of her daughters.

In 1909, the Boston Post newspaper publisher Edwin A. Grozier came up with the idea of giving a gold-headed cane to the oldest resident of New England towns. Originally intended to not only promote the “vigor and longevity of New England,” it also was a tool for newspaper sales. Although many of the original 431 African ebony and gold canes have been lost, Greenfield continues to carry on this tradition.

The cane is kept in a vault between presentations.