At the meeting of the Hopedale Select Board on Sept. 14, State Representative Brian Murray and State Senator Ryan Fattman presented local officials with a framed copy of the original Declaration of Independence, in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

Rep. Murray told the board, “The legislature has made available 351 replicas of the original Declaration that was done for us to provide to all of our cities and towns, so Senator Fattman and myself were presented with the Declaration for Hopedale. This is printed on linen paper, just as the original one was, on a press from the 1700s [with] historically accurate language just as Ezekiel Russell did in 1776.” 

He continued, “The reason why we were provided with these for each city and town, was to mark the tradition in Massachusetts - being the only colony of the 13 that made original prints for all of the cities and towns, all of the communities, and they were presented to the communities to be read at the open square.”

There is a brass plaque at the bottom of the frame document that reads, “Presented to the Town of Hopedale, Massachusetts / By State Representative Brian Murray and Senator Ryan Fattman / This authentic reproduction of the Ezekiel Russell Declaration of Independence was printed on a historically accurate press using linen cotton paper similar to the 1776 Salem original to commemorate the 250th anniversary and honor the unique tradition of Massachusetts delivering it to every city and town.” 

Select Board members Glenda Hazard, Bernie Stock, and Carole Mullen thanked the officials for the gift and said it was “beautiful.” 

Sen. Fattman said, “And we’re technically not late because July 4th, 1776, information traveled very slowly and so there was still Declaration readings across towns into September of 1776.” 

To watch the presentation, visit townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=56&id=76736.