Community Invited to "Share the Spirit of America" July 8

Boundary County residents are invited to take part in a nationwide observance commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday, July 8. 

The event, titled "Sharing the Spirit of America," is part of a national America250 initiative that will see communities across all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and outlying islands participate in a coordinated public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Communities across the country will begin reading the historic document at the same moment, adjusted for local time zones, creating a shared nationwide observance from coast to coast. 

Locally, the observance will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the Boundary County Courthouse lawn, where county officials will gather with community members. The American Legion and VFW Color Guard will conduct a flag ceremony before the reading of the Declaration of Independence begins at 3 p.m. from the courthouse steps as part of the nationwide observance. 

Organizers note that the event is inspired by the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, which took place on July 8, 1776, four days after the document was adopted by the Continental Congress. 

Attendees are also invited to enjoy sidewalk art displays, and refreshments will be served following the ceremony. 

The event is sponsored by Boundary County, America250 Idaho, the American Legion, Boundary County's America250 Ambassador County Committee and the Boundary County Historical Society.