New age: Details about 'Johnny Appleseed'
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John Chapman (September 26, 1774 – March, 1847) was an American pioneer orchardist and Swedenborgian Christian missionary known as "Johnny Appleseed" because he planted apple trees in large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, and became an American legend while he was still alive, being portrayed in works of art and literature. He is considered an early conservationist, what would be called today an ecologist. There is some vagueness concerning the date of his death. Harper's Magazine of November, 1871 (which is taken by many as the primary source of information about John Chapman) gives the date as 1847. Other sources, however, give the year as 1845 and some give the date as March 18, though it is difficult to find documentation of this date. A memorial site is located in Johnny Appleseed Park (formerly known as Archer Park) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The location of his actual grave is disputed, with some claiming it to be on the present grounds of Canterbury Green complex. Historical documents say he was buried underneath an apple tree along the St. Joseph River, on the Archer farm, four miles north of Fort Wayne. An animated short within the Disney feature Melody Time was based on his life, with the usual Disney regard for authenticity.
Chapman's missionThe apple orchards sown by Chapman yielded highly variable, small, sour fruits. They were not today's familiar sweet snack, produced by grafting clones of a few exceptional varieties. The seed-grown apples popular on the early nineteenth century frontier were primarily used to make hard cider (sometimes frozen to make applejack or distilled to make brandy), which was the preferred alcoholic beverage in the early American West. (M. Pollan, chap. 1) Johnny's Business PlanThe popular image of Johnny Appleseed had him planting apple trees randomly, everywhere he went. In fact, he planted orchards, from which settlers could obtain trees at modest cost. Johnny actually owned millions of dollars worth of apple orchards when he died. He would obtain land, paying for it with the promise of apple trees, clear it and plant an orchard, leaving it in the care of a nearby settler who would sell trees on shares. His orchard managers were instructed to sell trees on credit. As settlers were setting down roots in the community, this was sound credit management. Johnny's outlays were very minimal. He obtained the seed for free from cider mills eager to have new customers. He dressed poorly, even for the frontier, and spent most of his time traveling from home to home on the frontier. He would tell stories to children, spread the Swedenborgian gospel to the adults, and received supper and shelter for the night in return. He would tear a few pages from one of Swedenborg's books and leave them with his hosts. Johnny did not have a wife or children. He made several trips east, both to visit his sister, and to replenish his supply of Swedenborgian literature. He typically would visit his orchards every year or two, and collect his earnings. The majority of earnings during his lifetime were given to his sister, to his church, and to various needy people he came upon. HealthThere has been a controversial suggestion that Johnny had Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. One of the primary characteristics of Marfan Syndrome is extra-long slim limbs, and Johnny Appleseed was exceptionally tall and slim. Johnny was sickly as a child, and he died in his sleep. Marfan's is also closely associated with death from cardiovascular complications. Johnny was an ascetic of sorts, practicing self-denial. He went barefoot and wore rags, even in the coldest midwestern winter, and was a vegetarian. Those who propose the Marfan theory suggest that his compromised health may have made him feel the cold less intensely. His long life, however, militates against the suggestion of Marfan's. Popular culture
Further reading
See also
John Chapman Johnny Appleseed Johnny Appleseed
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