John Chapman, better known as “Johnny Appleseed,” was born in Massachusetts on September 26, 1774 (September 26th is also celebrated as Johnny Appleseed Day, along with March 11th, the day of his death). His father, Nathaniel Chapman was a Minuteman who fought in the Revolutionary War and served with General George Washington. John's mother, Elizabeth, died shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Nathaniel Chapman remarried after the war and had 10 children.
John and his half brother Nathaniel, Jr. journeyed west around 1792, just about five years after the Constitution was ratified. They lived as vagabonds, living off the land and taking odd jobs. Their father and siblings joined them in Ohio in 1805 where they started a family farm.
Read Full Article »