Johnny Appleseed

John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer gardener and missionary who introduced apple trees to the Midwest states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. In 1809, he came to Canton, Ohio, and purchased Lot 195 from Bezaleel Wells, the founder of Canton. He planted and established a prosperous apple orchard on the lot and had neighboring farmers care for it while he traveled to plant other orchards. Apples were a necessity in settlers' diets, and the law required each settler to plant 50 apple trees within the first year in a new area. Chapman anticipated where new settlements would be, established orchards before settlers arrived, and allowed new settlers to purchase saplings on credit or by barter to meet that obligation. He returned to Canton and his other orchards about every two years to collect his share of profits, which he used to buy more land for orchards, apple seeds, and religious materials to leave with families who offered him shelter.

Canton, Ohio · United States