West Milford library program revisits Revolutionary War history
West Milford. Attendees at the West Milford Library explored Revolutionary War history and common historical misconceptions during a May 16 presentation by Morristown docent Joel Farkas.
| 19 May 2026 | 03:57
Joel Farkas speaks at the West Milford Library. (
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With the nation preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, attendees at the West Milford Library brushed up on Revolutionary War history during a May 16 presentation titled “Remembering the Revolution.”
The program was led by Joel Farkas, an eight-year docent at Washington’s Headquarters in Morristown, who combined historical analysis with lesser-known facts and stories from the Revolutionary era.
Farkas discussed the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence and addressed several common misconceptions surrounding the founding of the United States.
Among them, he explained that the Declaration of Independence was approved July 2, not July 4. However, when printed “broadside” copies were distributed, they were dated July 4, 1776, and that date became permanently associated with the document.
Farkas also corrected the long-standing myth that George Washington’s dentures were made of wood, explaining instead that they were constructed from materials including ground-down horse teeth. He noted that the springs added by Washington’s dentist to help the dentures open and close properly represented an early dental innovation.
The presentation also included historical background on the 1804 duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in Weehawken. Farkas noted that Hamilton’s son had been killed in a duel at the same location three years earlier and that Hamilton chose to use the same pistols his son had used.
