Johnny Appleseed, whose real name was John Chapman, was an American pioneer nurseryman who helped prepare the way for 19th-century pioneers by supplying apple-tree nursery stock throughout the Midwest. He was born on September 26, 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts, and died on March 18, 1845, near Fort Wayne, Indiana. Here are some key facts about Johnny Appleseed:

• Around 1800, he started collecting apple seeds from cider presses in western Pennsylvania and soon began his long trek westward, planting a series of apple nurseries from the Alleghenies to central Ohio and beyond.

• He sold or gave away thousands of seedlings to pioneers, whose acres of productive apple orchards became a living memorial to Chapman’s missionary zeal.

• He planted nurseries rather than orchards, built fences around them to protect them from livestock and wildlife, left the nurseries in the care of a neighbor who sold trees on shares, and returned every year or two to tend the nursery.

• He was a devoted follower of Emanuel Swedenborg, and despite his apparent poverty, was reputed to be in good circumstances.

• He was known for his cheerful, generous nature, his affinity for the wilderness, his gentleness with animals, his devotion to the Bible, his knowledge of medicinal herbs, his harmony with the Native Americans, and above all his eccentric appearance—flowing hair under an inverted mush pan, bare feet, ragged trousers, and an old coffee sack over his.

• Although the legendary character of “Johnny Appleseed” is known chiefly through fiction, John Chapman was a genuine and dedicated professional nurseryman who expected to make a profit from the sale of his seedlings.

• The apples John Chapman brought to the frontier were very different than todays apples, and they werent meant to be eaten. He realized that if he could do the difficult work of planting orchards, he could turn them around for profit to incoming frontiersmen.

In summary, Johnny Appleseed was a pioneer nurseryman who traveled westward planting apple-tree nurseries and selling or giving away thousands of seedlings to pioneers. He was known for his eccentric appearance, his cheerful and generous nature, and his devotion to the Bible and medicinal herbs.