John Chapman was a frontier businessman
- Herb Broda: Nature Notebook
- October 22, 2019
- 2294
Hands down, the apple is my choice for the October fruit of the month. But in our region of Ohio, we have a connection to apples that goes beyond the culinary. The nearby Mohican area was prime real estate for John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, as he developed his nurseries of apple trees.
Chapman was a complex and colorful historical figure. Unfortunately he is usually associated with the 1948 Disney cartoon, “Melody Time,” which featured a simplistic caricature of Chapman surrounded by bluebirds and a lovable pioneer angel. The cartoon is entertaining but overlooks the robust personality and varied talents of this frontier businessman.
Chapman was born in 1774 in Massachusetts and is recognized as a nurseryman, conservation leader, astute businessman, humanitarian and missionary. He also was a rugged individualist, crossing the countryside usually barefoot wearing second-hand clothing. Although he usually slept and ate outdoors, Chapman was not poor; rather, he was committed to conservation and simplicity.
Chapman did not randomly plant apple trees on the frontier. He was a savvy businessman who knew that in the early 1800s you could have 100 acres of land if you could show a permanent homestead. According to a Smithsonian article about Chapman, to prove permanence, you had to plant “50 apple trees and 20 peach trees in three years since an average apple tree took roughly 10 years to bear fruit.”
Hard cider was often the drink of choice in frontier America. Water was frequently not safe, so hard cider was a good alternative drink and was probably heavily consumed on the frontier. The apple trees Chapman planted were not meant for apple pies; the vast majority of the harvest went into, well, booze.
Chapman saw the opportunity: He would go in advance of the settlers and do the difficult job of planting the orchards and then would sell them to the settlers. He was helping the homesteaders establish their claims and also was providing the apples needed for hard cider.
Chapman the missionary
As one author says, “He spread religious seeds as well as apple seeds." The Swedenborgian Church, a Christian denomination, had a tremendous impact upon Chapman. He carried religious tracts with him as he walked and was always willing to share what he called “news right fresh from heaven.”
His faith was centered on gentleness and confidence that God would shelter and provide. Many think his tremendous respect for animals and all life naturally led to his vegetarian lifestyle and unwillingness to wear leather footwear. He was a peaceful person who was respected by the Native Americans in the areas where he worked.
In part his religious belief influenced his choice not to graft apple trees. According to Smithsonian, the Swedenborgian Church was opposed to the grafting of trees, which they believed caused suffering for plants. Grafting also was time-consuming and tedious, which didn’t fit with the rugged demand of pioneer life. It was a lot easier to just plant seeds.
Planting apple seeds is a bit of a crapshoot. That’s why apple trees are almost always grafted if the fruit is to be eaten. Planting the seeds from an apple you just ate probably will not result in the same apple tree.
Apples have high genetic variability, so your seed-planting efforts will probably produce apples referred to as “spitters.” Just like the name implies, you would probably spit out the apple if you tried to eat it, but spitters make great apple cider.
Johnny Appleseed was not a country bumpkin roaming the countryside randomly tossing apple seeds. He was an astute businessman who could predict the movements of settlers in an area and then provide the orchards they needed. His estate of 1,200 acres of nurseries and additional plots of acquired land would classify him as wealthy for the time period.
More importantly Chapman’s missionary work focused on a gentler and more peaceful interpretation of faith than many settlers had experienced. His respect for nature and life in general was often at odds with the ruggedness of the frontier but provided families with fresh hope for a better life.
Enjoy an apple this week. To be historically accurate, tip a bottle of hard cider in the direction of Apple Creek or Mansfield as you think about the impact of Chapman. October is a great time to toast the man who walked the roads near our communities, sharing both apple trees and life truths.
Email Herb Broda at 4nature.notebook@gmail.com.