The Promise Planted in Johnny Appleseed's Orchards

In 1806, John Chapman — better known as Johnny Appleseed — planted a small nursery of apple trees along the banks of Owl Creek in north-central Ohio. He would never taste most of the fruit. He would never sit in the shade of their full canopy. He planted with bare feet and a burlap sack, then moved on, trusting the soil and the seasons to do what he could not.…