Benjamin Franklin visits Kane County for Independence Day

KANE COUNTY — Residents across the county got an unexpected visit from one of America’s Founding Fathers on Independence Day - or at least a remarkably convincing version of one.

Local resident Nicholas Meyeres spent more than 12 hours traveling throughout the county on July 4 portraying Benjamin Franklin, making stops in communities across Kane County to share stories about the nation’s founding and encourage residents, especially children, to engage with history.

At each stop, Meyeres delivered a presentation as Franklin, tailoring his remarks for the audience. In Kanab, families gathered under a green tent at the former Kanab Elementary School, where children participated in a hands-on electricity demonstration inspired by Franklin’s famous scientific experiments.

Visitors also had the opportunity to sign a copy of the Declaration of Independence, adding hundreds of signatures throughout the day as the document traveled from community to community.

Following the event, Meyeres thanked the community for its support over the years. “It has been a true blessing to be a part of this community for most of my adult life,” he wrote on social media. “This is our home, and you are our family.”

Meyeres said the Independence Day tour was his way of giving back to the community while helping make the nation’s history more engaging for local families. By the end of the day, Benjamin Franklin had made appearances in nearly every community in Kane County, leaving behind smiles, conversations about American history and hundreds of new signatures on a traveling copy of the Declaration of Independence.