Johnny Appleseed Day with kids!

Johnny Appleseed Day honors one of America's great legends. Johnny Appleseed was a real person. John Chapman was among the American settlers who were captivated by the movement west across the continent. As Johnny Appleseed travelled west, he planted apple trees along the way, and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew.

A Little About the Legend:

• John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) was born on September 26, 1774.
• He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania.
• During the life of John Chapman, the "West" was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.
• John Chapman was a deeply religious person He was known to preach during his travels.
• According to legend, Johny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received.
• It is believed that he died on March 11, 1845, from what was referred to as the "winter plague". The actual date of his death has been disputed.

There is a lot of "legend" in stories written about Johny Appleseed. By it's definition, over the years, legends grow bigger than life. It also appears that there is some link between Johny Appleseed and very early Arbor Day celebrations.
Celebrate today with an apple rich menu. Include fresh apples for snacks, and some applesauce or apple pie for dessert. And, make plans to plant an apple tree.

This is a video clip from Walt Disney's version of "Johnny Appleseed" which was one of the segments from Disney's 10th Animated Classic - "Melodytime."

Oh, the Lord is good to me

and so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need

The sun, and the rain and the apple tree. 

The Lord is good to me.

Here is another YouTube video that has a narrated story about Johnny Appleseed: