Have you heard of Johnny Appleseed?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
Rockingham, Australia
April 26, 2016 9:30pm CST
I've just finished reading another book by Gene Stratton Porter (1863-1924). This one is called 'Laddie'. It is set in Indiana and what I found especially interesting is that there are several mentions of Johnny Appleseed. My boys had a Little Golden Book about Johnny Appleseed and I wondered if any of my American friends knew about him?
His real name was John Chapman and he was born in 1774. As a pioneer nurseryman, he introduced apple trees throughout Ontario, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and the northern parts of West Virginia. Kind and generous, the legend has him spreading apple seeds throughout his travels but in reality it seems he planted trees in nurseries. He was very concerned with conservation and in later life became a missionary for The New Church. So have you heard of him?
The photo is of apple orchards near us.
32 people like this
32 responses
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
27 Apr 16
What a beautiful picture. I have heard about Johnny Appleseed, very interesting story. Glad to know someone else likes Gene Stratton Porter. I had read a lot of her books when younger, and last year, I loaded the whole set of them on my Kobo and enjoyed re-reading them. The Beekeeper and Her Father's Daughter are my favourites.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Apr 16
I haven't read the two you mention. Must try to get hold of them one day.
@LadyDuck (502653)
• Italy
27 Apr 16
Of course I have heard of Johnny Appleseed, I even own the DVD with the Disney cartoon, is so sweet. Have you ever seen it? Here it is, if you want to have a look:
Who was Johnny Appleseed? Why was he so obsessed with apples? Watch the original animated video from 1948 and find out why this American Legend was such an i...
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
28 Apr 16
We certainly did know him and knew him well as children. I lived in an Apple orchard in NY as a kid and was told Johnny planted the trees. Is that the truth? Who knows. I like to think it was true.
2 people like this
He got around a bit didn't he?
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Apr 16
@drannhh Oh good, glad to run into you here. I have a photo for you, but will come find you in a bit.
I don't think we learned that much about him here in Michigan, but if he never made it thus far maybe the legends didn't make it into our school books.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Apr 16
It seems many children learnt about him at school.
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Apr 16
Glad you like the photo. Don't they plant the trees in beautiful straight lines?
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
27 Apr 16
Disney had a good movie, with actual actors not cartoon, on Johnny Appleseed
2 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
28 Apr 16
@JudyEv and @Jessicalynnt I think there was a TV series around 1986 starring Molly Ringwald, but I am unaware of any other non-animated versions. This gets interesting.
2 people like this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Apr 16
@JudyEv Though America was heavily forested at the time, it lacked apple trees. He also used the apple seed in teaching people about God. When you plant one seed, you get one tree, but many apples. When we tell one person about Jesus, that person tells others and the seeds we plant are multiplied like the apple seed.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43648)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Apr 16
Yes, Johnny Appleseed is part of American folklore.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Apr 16
@Marty1 @teamfreak16 Wikipedia defines folklore as traditional art, literature, knowledge and practices passed on by oral communication so it doesn't say it doesn't or hasn't existed.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43648)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Apr 16
@Marty1 - I don't know, it was the best word that came to mind.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
2 May 16
Yes but he is thought of more as a legend than a fact.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Apr 16
Yes, I've heard of him, but I didn't know why he had that name and I don't remember necessarily reading about it in any book when young. That doesn't mean that I didn't, but that I don't remember. You know a lot more about his life than I ever did. Good sleuth work, or did all that detail come from that book you just finished?
1 person likes this
