THE LEGEND OF
JOHNNY APPLESEED
Yes,JohnnyAppleseedwasarealperson.HisnamewasJohnChapman.Hewas
borninLeominster,Massachusetts,September26,1774.Hisfatherwasa
MinutemanatConcord,MA,andlaterservedasacaptainduringthe
RevolutionaryWar.
RecordsofJohnnyAppleseed’sboyhoodarescanty,atbest.Hismotherdiedwhile
hisfatherwasinservice.Hisfathermarriedagainafterthewar,andthefamily
movedtoEastLongmeadow,wherehespenthisboyhoodyears.
Inhisearlytwenties,John
Chapmanmigratedtowestern
Pennsylvania,wherehefirst
settledinthefrontiervillageof
Warren,nearPittsburgh.From
therehetraveledwestintothe
OhioValley,andinthenearly50
yearsthatfollowed,Johnny
Appleseedlivedthelifethat
manyfolkstothisdayrelate
moretolegendthanhistory.
Chapmannevermarried.Forlackofamoreappropriatedescriptionofhiswork,
hewasanitineratemissionaryandpreacheroftheSwedenborgianChristian
faith,andanappletreenurseryman.Hetraversedtheforestsandprairiesofwhat
isnowOhioandIndiana,alongwithfringesofotherstates,plantingandcaring
forhisappletrees,teachingfarmersappleculture,assistingtheminplantingand
careoftheirorchards,andpreaching,“goodnewsrightfreshfromHeaven.”He
becameknownforhiscourageanddedicationtohisfellowman,aswellasforthe
thousandsofappletreesheplanted.
ChapmandiedinMarch,1845,frompneumonia.HeisburiednearFortWayne,
Indiana.
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