Mike Does
  History

I know I am a few days late on getting this posted, but here is my entry for National Johnny Appleseed Day!

      John “Johnny Appleseed” Chapman was born in Massachusetts on September 26, 1774. He was still a baby when his father, Nathaniel Chapman took part as a Minuteman at the Battle of Concord. At the age of 18, he and his half-brother Nathaniel moved to Ohio where Johnny began his famous nomadic lifestyle.

      There are stories of him gathering apple seeds for entrepreneurial purposes as far back as his childhood, although these stories can’t be properly verified. No one is sure when Johnny first started collecting his seeds, but one thing is for sure. “Johnny Appleseed” actually existed as a real person in history and not just some tall-tale such as Paul Bunyan or an honest politician.

      Johnny’s business model revolved around collecting apple seeds from cider mills. He then traveled the Ohio Valley planting and maintaining apple tree nurseries. After the Revolutionary War, the U.S. Government offered land in Ohio to veterans. One of the requirements of receiving this land was that the new owner had to plant 50 fruit trees. These new settlers had a need and Johnny was able to help meet that need, while making a decent profit for himself. It is said that he made several times as much money as he otherwise would have as a day laborer.

      Johnny’s nomadic form of living worked well with his business venture. He was a friendly, outgoing guy, that also loved to share his faith as a Christian Missionary. As he traveled, he would tell stories from the Bible and sleep at any house that had the extra room. His favorite story to tell was Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mound.”

      Usually when you picture “Johnny Appleseed,” you imagine him as barefoot hobo with a pot on top of his head. From accounts by those who met him, that rugged portrayal wasn’t far from the truth. Johnny was known to live his life barefoot, but actually favored tin hats and not tin pots. Regardless, he lived a life on the frontier and that required a rugged individual.

      Overall, John Chapman received both fame and fortune. By the time he passed away, he was known throughout the country and he was able to pass on 1,200 acres of apple orchards to his sisters. Johnny Appleseed is the perfect example of the industrious spirit that fostered the growth of the young United States of America. He truly deserves to have his own National Johnny Appleseed Day!