“JOHNNIE APPLESEED” (JOHN CHAPMAN).

The year 1843 brought to a close the life of one of the most unique and widely known characters in the pioneer life of the middle west — “Johnnie Appleseed” — whose true name was John Chapman. To the memory of this man a tablet was placed in Swinney park, Fort Wayne, in May, 1916, and dedicated with appropriate ceremonies.

In 1801, in advance of the settlers, John Chapman, then twentysix years of age, appeared at the head of the Ohio river, with a canoe laden with appleseeds procured from the cider mills of Western Pennsylvania. With these, he planted orchards in the wilderness, on any suitable vacant land, and in this manner entered upon the years of work which attached to him the name of “Johnnie Appleseed.” A sister, Persis Chapman-Broom, lived in Jay county, Indiana, and to her home Chapman came frequently, and nearly as often did he come to Fort Wayne where he was welcomed to many of the homes of the time.

Hiram Porter, of St. Joe township, ninety years of age, with perfect memory of the pioneer orehardist, said to the writer in October, 1916:

"I have a clear recollection of this man who, as I recall it, was commonly called Tapman. He frequently stayed at our home, always refusing the comforts of a bed and choosing rather to lie on the floor before the fireplace. At one time, I wrote a letter for him, directed to a man in Pennsylvania, ordering a half bushel of appleseeds, which were received by him some time afterwards. He was a man of many peculiar ways. Never would he suffer anything to

Johnnie Appleseed, His Handwriting and His Burial Place.

John Chapman, known as “Johnnie Appleseed,” died at the home of William Worth, near Fort Wayne, in 1843, “The historical account of his death and his burial by the Worths and their neighbors, the Pettits, the Goings, Porters, Notestines, Beckets, Parkers, Witesides, Pechons, Hatfields, Parrants, Ballards, Randsells and the Archers, in the Archer burial ground, is substantially correct,” wrote John Archer in 1900, “The common headboards used in those days long since have decayed and become entirely obliterated, and at this time I do not think that any person could, with any degree of certainty, come within fifty feet of locating the grave.” The burying ground is located a few rods west of Stop 8, on the Robison park electric line. “Johnnie Appleseed” is the hero of many interesting works of Action dealing with the story of his life, which was spent in planting apple trees throughout the wilderness of the middle west. The portrait and the fac-simile of an order for apple trees are after engravings which accompanied an article by E. O. Randall in Vol. IX of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society publications. A bronze tablet dedicated to the memory of Johnnie Appleseed was placed in Swinney park, Fort Wayne, in May, 1916.

be killed. A snake in his way would be allowed to escape in safety. In our home, where he partook of many a meal, he would not touch meat because he did not believe in taking the life of animals to provide food for human beings. Always he carried a testament, for, while he had difficulty in reading, he listened to the Scriptures as they were read to him. If he stubbed his toe while walking along the pathway, he would stop and remove his shoe and walk barefoot in order to punish the foot for not performing its duty.

“I recall that he planted a number of trees on the Blake farm about three miles out of Fort Wayne on the Leo road. At one time, he helped my father to transplant about fifteen or twenty apple trees from this place to our farm on the Coldwater road. He planted a great number of small orchards. Many of these extended along the Wabash river and even over into Illinois.”

He died on the 11th of March, 1843, at the home of William Worth, and the body, placed in a plain board coffin, was interred in the Archer burying ground. Mr. Porter accompanied his parents and witnessed the burial. The exact location of the burial spot was forgotten and it remained unknown until 1912 when the remains, together with a fragment of the box, were discovered while digging a grave. They were replaced, and the second body was placed directly above them. The Archer burying ground is a small piece of ground located at “Stop 3” on the electric line running between Fort Wayne and Robison park.

The late George W. Brackenridge, speaking of “Johnnie Appleseed,” said:

“He was simply clad; in truth, like a beggar. His fine features, seen through the gray stubble that covered his face (for he cut his hair and beard with scissors — yet he was not a Nazarite) told of his intelligence. He was serious; his speech was clean, free from slang or profanity. He must have had money, but he never exhibited any or looked as if he had any. For undershirts, he wore coffee sacks. If he did not find his affinity in heaven, he was disappointed.”