Appleseed

In 1798, John Chapman planted his first apple tree nursery. Over the next forty years, he walked hundreds of miles and planted thousands of apple trees all over the expanding frontier. Long before he died, Chapman had earned the nickname, "John Appleseed". He was an entrepreneur, pioneer, landowner, farmer, missionary, and friend to all. Dressed in ragged clothes, he protected settlers from Indian attacks, helped them build cabins, and was a constant source of wonder and inspiration to everyone he met, a legend in his own time. Today we think of planting apple trees as primitive and quaint, but in Chapman's day, it was vitally important for survival on the frontier. It was this immeasurable aid to his fellow man that opened the door for Chapman to do the very thing he had crossed the wilderness to do: proclaim the gospel. The story of John Chapman is as compelling today as when he was alive. It is the story of an ordinary man who changed the course of a nation by living according to the principles he believed. It is a story for the ages; a true story of sacrifice, heroism, and love.