Post 56
Johnny Appleseed Tree
Malus domestica
(Rambo Apple Tree)
LocationN39º28.887'
W088º24.742' |
Date PlantedSeptember 3, 2010
|
|
On September 3rd, the students planted the Johnny Appleseed Apple Tree, a historical tree:
Johnny Appleseed Apple Tree John Chapman, born in Leominster, Massachusetts, on September 26, 1774, had a plan for the betterment of man. Following his religious beliefs, Chapman sought to bring harmony between man and nature. Chapman believed God manifested Himself in the plants and animals of the outdoors. His mission was confirmed when, after a near-fatal accident, he experienced a vision of fruit-lined streets in Heaven. In the late 1780s, he set out in a canoe to plant apple tree orchards. The trees were intended to provide food for settlers and pioneers as they traveled westward during the expansion era. Each orchard provided a tree or two for farmers to take home and plant. Payment was accepted, but never required. Ashland County, Ohio, was a favorite site for Chapman, whose sister, Perces, lived in the area. At the nearby Harvey Farm in Nova, Ohio, he slept in the small outbuilding, refusing to sleep indoors. Here, Chapman planted an orchard of his favorite Rambo apple trees, one of which still grows and produces fruit, though a storm in the spring of 1996 nearly toppled the old survivor. In the years before, American Forests’ representatives visited the tree to cultivate seeds and collect cuttings. Today, John Chapman rests at Archer Cemetery in Fort Wayne, Indiana. |
Purchased with funds from the Lumpkin Foundation Grant.