Johnny Apple Seed

Many people have heard the story of Johnny Appleseed, but not many know the truth about the individual for whom the song and story are based on. John Chapman, born in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts eventually became known as Johnny Appleseed as the nurseryman introduced apple trees throughout Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia. However, he didn't simply walk around aimlessly, spewing handfuls of seeds in all directions from a large sack. He, instead, helped cultivate the trees and planted nurseries, built fences around the trees to protect them from livestock and, once fully constructed, he left the nurseries in the care of local neighbours. He would eventually return every few years in order to prune and care for the trees, but he helped these trees grow far longer than simply tossing the seeds about. Johnny Apple Seed also had other motives in mind for walking throughout the countryside and spreading apple trees.

Johnny Apple Seed served as a missionary for the New Church out of Swedenborgian. When he would stop to plant apple trees, cultivate the land and build nurseries around the trees, he used the time to preach to the local community. During these times, he often spent most of his time telling stories to children and preach the gospel to adults, all in exchange for the ability to sleep inside of a house. In all essence, he basically was homeless and depended on the will of those for whom he planted the trees for.

Johnny Apple Seed was also highly regarded by Native Americans, as many respected him for his cultivation of the ground, but they also had been touched by the 'great spirit', which in turn resulted in not only large numbers of conversions, but enemy tribes would leave him alone due to this fact.