Though few may know it, Dublin has its own apple advocate and descendant of a half-brother of the renowned folk hero John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, who lived from 1774-1835. Johnny had no direct descendants but had 10 half brothers and sisters, so there are lots of descendants – and I’m among them. You might also be a descendant.
As vice president of the nonprofit Johnny Appleseed Foundation, I’ve worked to support the reopening of The Johnny Appleseed Museum and Education Center in Urbana, which was closed when Franklin University permanently closed the Urbana Campus due to low enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than just a part of Johnny’s classic story, there are many benefits from the commonly taken-for-granted fruit. While apples are a very healthy food, they were also extremely important to the settlement of the Northwest Territory and the survival of early pioneers. In Ohio, the state passed a law requiring settlers to plant five acres of either apple, peach or pear trees. This was to keep speculators from selling the land to non-settlers.
Additionally, early settlers commonly used vinegar made from apple cider to preserve food and to function as a disinfectant able to kill bacteria. Vinegar is a great natural disinfectant still used today.
Apples were often sliced thin and dried, allowing easy storage so the fruit could be used to make applesauce, pies or other foods throughout the winter season. During harvest season apple peeling became a social event with men running the apple peelers and women slicing the apples for drying. Unmarried men or women would toss apple peels over their shoulders to see if the peels would form a letter suggesting who they might marry.
Even whiskey made from apples was not only used for drinking but for many medicinal purposes. Despite these varied uses, during prohibition federal agents cut down many apple orchards in Ohio.
Today, there are four Rambo apple trees planted at the Coffman Homestead on Emerald Parkway. These trees are direct descendants from a tree known to have been planted by Johnny Appleseed. The Rambo apple makes some of the very best applesauce with little or no sugar necessary.
The Johnny Appleseed Museum is targeting a fall opening. Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donation to the Johnny Appleseed Foundation can do so at www.johnnyappleseedmuseum.org.
