Please Note: Due to a renovation of the Ridgewood Library Auditorium this event will take place at the Old Paramus Church Fellowship Hall. 

The Turncoat and the Patriot

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William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, was the last royalist governor of New Jersey. John Fell, “the great Tory hunter,” led the local opposition to the British during that time. Although their paths probably never crossed, their dual lives provide a unique look at New Jersey in Revolutionary times. In advance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, noted local author Jim Wright will talk about these two exceptional men, their legacies, and the reason Ridgewoodians should be upset about the name of a certain highway.