The Boston Post cane is back in Town Hall, but not for long.

Rochester is one of only a handful of towns across New England that allow the oldest resident to keep the cane until they pass away, which was the original tradition.

On Monday, Selectman and Town Clerk Naida Parker said the cane’s previous recipient, Ralph Walker, recently died at the age of 100.

His family returned the cane and now Parker and Town Administrator Mike McCue  will research town records to see who will receive it next.

In 1909, the publisher of the Boston Post newspaper sent the gold-topped canes to Selectmen in 700 New England towns.

The canes were presented to the oldest man in town, to be used as long as he lived. In 1930, it was decided that women could receive the cane as well.

Rochester’s cane is the same one delivered more than 100 years ago.

Today, many boards of selectmen hold cane ceremonies for the oldest resident, but it stays with the town. That’s not the case in Rochester.

“We’re very pleased to be one of the towns that still bestows it to the oldest resident,” Parker said. “We don’t keep it on display.”

McCue said Rochester has a piece of history.

“Of the five communities I’ve worked in, this is the first one I’ve been in that has their original cane,” McCue said.