Johnny Appleseed Day – September 26, 2022, history significance why we celebrate
When confronted with the legend of Johnny Appleseed, most people are surprised to discover that this American legend was a living, breathing, historical human being!
It’s true. Far from being simply the stuff of folklore and folk tales, Appleseed (real name: John Chapman) was an American nurseryman who introduced apple trees to the Midwest, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He was also a conservationist and missionary during the earliest days of the United States.
And yet, despite his living, breathing status, Appleseed was, indeed, a living legend. And Johnny Appleseed Day on September 26 is celebrated in his honor.
History of Johnny Appleseed Day
What many individuals don’t know is that Johnny Appleseed was no mere fable, but was, in fact, a clergy known by the name of John Chapman. Massachusetts was Born in Leominster, in 1774.
While a unique display of the man who would be known as Johnny Appleseed is of him casually spreading apple seeds everywhere, the trust of his methods was a bit more pragmatic.
He migrated throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Ontario, and Illinois, and the lands that would become West Virginia gardening nurseries. He would hurdle them in and liberty them in the care of a neighbor who would then sell shares in the trees, and then join back every year or two to tend them.
His very prime nursery was grown on the bank of Brokenstraw Creek, south of Warren Pennsylvania, but groups more were to follow. His service wasn’t absorbed just on apples, however. He had an interior and enduring love for animals of all kinds, counting insects. He may have been off-the-prime ethical vegetarians and expended much of his life taking pains not to injure animals.
JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY TIMELINE
328 BCE
Alex found a great apple
Alexander the Great is said to have discovered dwarf apples in the area of modern-day Kazakhstan.
1600s
Apples arrived in the ‘New World’
Colonists began introducing apples to the North American continent, with the first apple orchard planted in Boston in 1625.
September 26, 1774
Happy birthday!
The man, the myth, the legend — actually the very real, historical John Chapman (i.e., Johnny Appleseed) — was born in Massachusetts.
1792
Go west, young man
Johnny headed west out of Massachusetts to begin his legendarily nomadic life. He planted his first nursery near Warren, Pennsylvania a few years after starting out.
March 18, 1845
Johnny Appleseed died
After a life of travel, religious devotion and conservation, Appleseed died in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He left behind a legend that lives on to this day — plus an estate of more than 1,200 acres.
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5 TASTY JOHNNY APPLESEED TIDBITS
He spread the Gospel
Appleseed was a religious man of peace — a “primitive Christian” — whom American Indians regarded as having been touched by the “Great Spirit.”
He wouldn’t hurt a fly — or a mosquito
Legend has it that Appleseed doused his campfire rather than have mosquitoes perish in its flame. He is said to have remarked, “God forbid that I should build a fire for my comfort, that should be the means of destroying any of His creatures.”
He was an unmarried vegetarian
He used to tell folks that he would meet his true love in heaven if one wasn’t provided to him on Earth.
We’re not sure where he’s buried
Appleseed is almost certainly buried in Fort Wayne, Indiana — but the exact location is still very much up for debate.
He helped American expansion
Land claims during American westward expansion often required plantings. Appleseed sold seedlings to pioneers, making the creation of an orchard — and thus a verifiable land claim — much easier.
How to celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day
Feasting Johnny Appleseed Day is significantly done by indulging yourself in the fabulous fruit that he served to spread across the US. Whatever part you choose to have it in, whether a renewed apple off a tree or a creamy and tangy apple pie, be sure to take some time to be grateful for the results of his efforts.
You can also take a day off of having meat and be extra kind to animals on this day, in recovering from his efforts and his beliefs. You can use the hashtag #JohnnyAppleseedDay to spread awareness on social media.
