SKOWHEGAN — Local high school and middle school students got a rare look Wednesday at one of the first copies printed of the nation’s most important founding documents.

The Maine Historical Society brought its copy of the Dunlap Broadside to Skowhegan Area High School as a bonus stop on its monthslong 16-county tour marking the U.S. semiquincentennial. Dunlap Broadside is a version of the Declaration of Independence printed July 4, 1776, to spread the word to the colonies.

The approximately 1,200 students at Skowhegan Area Middle School, Skowhegan Area High School and the Somerset Career and Technical Center were scheduled to go to the high school auditorium throughout the day to view it, school administrators said.

As curator Catherine Cyr of the Maine Historical Society put it: “This is the closest you can get to the moment of independence.”

Students coming through the auditorium shortly after the first bell gathered in groups to briefly take a look at the document, housed in a durable glass case and displayed on stage. Cyr explained the basics of what they were looking at, while some stopped to take photographs.

“It was really cool,” said Isabella Thompson, a ninth-grader from Mercer, as she walked off the stage.

Alaila Lynch, like Thompson, said she had also never seen anything like the Dunlap Broadside before.

“I like it because of Alexander Hamilton,” said the ninth grader from Skowhegan, referencing the hit musical production “Hamilton.”

Steve Bromage, executive director of the Maine Historical Society, said 12,000 people have viewed the document so far on the society’s roadshow across Maine in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation. The stop in Skowhegan was the only one at a school, specifically for students, he said. Other stops have been at libraries and museums.

The broadside is scheduled to be on display Friday and Saturday at the Margaret Chase Smith Library; free timed tickets are available to be reserved online. From there, it is scheduled to head next to Farmington (Oct. 2-3), Norway (Oct. 9-10), Lewiston (Oct. 16-17), Augusta (Oct. 22-23) and Brunswick (Oct. 30-31).   

John Dunlap, Congress’ official printer, was tasked with creating copies of the declaration July 4, 1776, in the hours after the Second Continental Congress adopted it.

Printed in Philadelphia, the copies were intended to be distributed to the colonies to immediately get out word. Historians believe Dunlap printed about 200 copies that night, which were then directed to trusted officials for public readings, posting, and local reproduction.

The Maine Historical Society acquired its copy in 1905 and believes it was printed earlier in the evening of 1776. Only 26 copies survive today, according to the society.

Securely transporting such a rare and delicate historical artifact, which usually is stored in Portland, requires careful logistical planning and insurance, all of which can be costly, Bromage said. 

“At the basic level, that thing should never leave a museum,” Bromage said, adding there have been plenty of jokes likening the operation to “National Treasure,” a 2004 film in which a treasure hunter played by Nicolas Cage steals the Declaration of Independence.

That’s where New Balance came in. The Boston-based shoemaking giant was the main presenting sponsor for the statewide tour, and made an additional contribution to support the Maine School Administrative District 54 visit.

Amy Dow, vice president of public relations and government affairs for New Balance, said employees at the company’s factory in Skowhegan will also be able to view the document at the library during a special viewing time. A similar opportunity will be given later this fall to workers at its Norway facility, Dow said.

MSAD 54 Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Moody, a former history and government teacher, said that while students may not fully appreciate the experience in the moment, they hopefully will remember it when they are older.

Before Wednesday’s showing, teachers in grades 5-12 engaged students in lessons about the Declaration of Independence. 

High school Principal Jason Bellerose thanked New Balance for working with the historical society and the school district to bring the Dunlap Broadside to Skowhegan.

“Their support gives so many of our students the rare opportunity to experience firsthand this remarkable piece of American history,” Bellerose said in a statement. “We are equally grateful to the educators across MSAD 54 who have made this vision a reality, especially our Social Studies Department for thoughtfully preparing our students and maximizing this experience. Finally, we thank the Maine Historical Society for entrusting us with this extraordinary document.”