The beloved Johnny Appleseed wasn't always Johnny Appleseed. He was born
on September 26, 1774, as John Chapman. He lived in Leominster, Massechussets.
Johnny had a hard life. His dad went to the Revolutionary War. His mom and
brother died by his second birthday. His dad remarried when Johnny was six.
When Johnny was old enough, he left his home to explore the wilderness.
He cleared out a plot of land and planted a small orchard from appleseeds
that he had brought with him. He sold his appletrees to pioneers. In 1812,
the British urged the indians to join them in a war against Americans. They
feared Ohio would be invaded from Lake Erie.
There are many different stories about Johnny. One is that Johnny was asleep
and a rattlesnake bit him, but the fangs could not go in his foot because
it was as tough as an elephant's hide. Another story is that he would sleep
with the birds and talk to them. A hunter swore he had seen Johnny play
with a bear family. After he turned seventy, he got sick for the first time
and he died in 1842.