The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-09-21

had been erected In his honor.
In a park in Mansfield, Ohio he would see
tall marble shaft on which is inscribed: In
memory of John Chapman, best known as Johnny
Appleseed, pioneer nurseryman Of Richland
county from 1910 to 1890"
In the city of Ashland in the same state he
would find a monument made Of boulders TO
which is affixed bronze tablet which says: "In
memory of Ashland County Pioneers, including
Johnny Appleseed John Chapman. an Ohio hero,
patron saint of American orchards and soldier
of peace. He went about doing good Erected
by the school children of Ashland county, Ohio
July %, 1915 on the Tooth anniversary Of the
founding Of Uniontown, Ashland"
In the same county, near Miffiin, he would
find his name the date Of his birth and death,
and the place Of his burial engraved on the
Copus Massacre monument, honoring James
Copus and the three soldiers who were killed
there by the Indians during the War of 1872
In Fort Wayne. Ind, he would see huge
granite boulder bearing a bronze tablet which
displays the figure of man and the following
inscription: Johnny Appleseed was born in
Massachusetts, in 1776 Died near Fort Wayne
in 1s43. Buried in David Archer's cemetery.
Pioneer apple grower Of Indiana and Ohio. The
Indiana Horticultural society and all those who
are endeavoring to carry on the work he nobly
commenced join in dedicating this monument
TO the memory of his deeds.'
But 1t is probable that Of all the memorials
honoring Johnny Appleseed, the one which will
soon adorn his native city of Springfield Mass,
would delight him most. For II is no marker Of
cold stone and bronze Instead IT is to be a
living memorial, which will bloom with
beauty each recurring spring. It is a four-acre
tract Of land, which may have once belonged to
his father and over which he undoubtedly roamed
as boy, and there the Springfield Garden club,
sponsors Of the project, will plant apple trees
and other fruit-bearers and maintain this unique
memorial public park.
The tract Of land is roughly leaf-shaped with
the Mill river as its stem and its irregular con-
tours hold promise of making a place of un-
usual beauty. Flowering crabapples viii have
a place to display their spectacular profusion of
bloom. There will be a wide variety Of the
sturdy old New England varieties Of apples
which Johnny spread broadcast throughout the
East and the Old Northwest. Low hllsides will
be fragrant with laurel and the park win also
contain white oak hawthorn. red bud, dogwood,
wild plum, butternut. sassafras, honeysuckle,
trumpet vine, the fox grape (from which the
modern Concord grape is descendedJ wild
strawberries, blackberries and blueberries-n
fact all kinds OF trees and shrubs connected
with the Johnny Appleseed tradition.
Rustic bridges are to link the banks Of the
Mill river in it's brief course through the park,
and the illusion of distance and height in the
tall trees on the upper levels of the slopes
Although the trees, such as Johnny loved, and
the park itself will be the memorial to him.
there is also TO be in ii a large field boulder
bearing a bronze tablet with a brief sketch Of
his association with that city.
Although so much legend has become attached
to Johnny Appleseed's name that ii is difficult
TO know where fact leaves off and fiction begins,
it seems clearly established that he was born
~
1774. He was one of three children born to
Nathaniel Chapman and Elizabeth Simons Tor
Simonds) Chapman, who were married on Feb
ruary s. ITO. Nathaniel Chapman served In
company of Minute Men at the outbreak of the
Revolution, but after the death Of his wife on
July IS, 1776. he appears to have taken his two
motherless children, Elizabeth, six, and Johnny,
two tanother son, Nathaniel, born that year,
had died In infancy and moved to Springfield.
Early deeds unearthed by the Springfield
Garden club record several parcels of land
owned by Nathaniel Chapman, but the descrip@
tons are woefully inadequate. They specify only
"a spot by a stream and overlooking the Con-
necticut river" So there is no certainty that
the tract of land which win be the park honor
ing Johnny Appleseed was owned by his father,
but it is reasonable TO suppose that this land
knew the touch of Johnny's bare feet as he
began his roaming through the woods in his
earliest childhood
Local tradition says that Nathaniel Chapman
supported his family by turning out the wooden
bowls and dishes used by the people of that day
and that young John was his constant COM
panion going with him as he peddled his wood
enware in the towns around Springfield. There
is also a tradition that Johnny's love for apple
trees dated from his youthful fondness for the
one which stood outside the door Of his fathers
log cabin and under which he played as boy.
In 17a3 Nathaniel Chapman was drowned while
fishing in the Connecticut river near South Had
lev Falls and soon afterwards Johnnys wander
ings began. Soon after his fathers death,