John Chapman is Johnny Appleseed

John Chapman was born in Massachusetts on September 26, 1774. He loved nature and enjoyed farming and being outdoors in the woods. Apples were an important crop for farming families. They were able to store apples and have fruit all winter. John grew up and left home, walking west to Pennsylvania where he planted his first apple orchard. John’s travels took him through New York, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois too.  Some of the trees that John planted are still in existence bearing delicious fruit.

John Chapman made friends everywhere he went. Native Americans, settlers and even the animals loved him. In fact, he got his nickname from people who were listening to his stories and learning about apple growing. John died March 18, 1845 near Fort Wayne, Indiana. There are several festivals that honor the legacy of Johnny Appleseed and the biggest takes place every September in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Did You Know?

Did You Know that Johnny Appleseed:

• Wore his cooking pot on his head as a hat.
• Walked across 100,000 square miles of America planting apple trees.
• Sold apple trees to settlers for six cents each.

Check These Out!

Websites

To learn more, check these websites:

http://cleveland.about.com/od/peopleandpets/p/johnnyappleseed.htm

http://www.appleappetite.com/Johnny.htm

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/revolut/jb_revolut_apple_1.html