You may not recognize the name John Chapman from your history books. The pioneering American nurseryman is better known as Johnny Appleseed, who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and the Midwest. We’ll mark the 240th anniversary of Johnny Appleseed’s birth and his connection to Pittsburgh with culture contributor Joe Wos.
Wos explains that Chapman did more than just plant apple trees. For instance, Chapman was an early pioneer for animal rights, a philanthropist, and a religious missionary on the frontier. And because Pittsburgh was the gateway to the west in Chapman’s time, Wos stresses that Pittsburgh played an important role in the Johnny Appleseed story.
