Celebrating 250 Years of Johnny Appleseed
Sep 26, 2024
The Man Behind the Legend and His Sweet Connection to The J.M. Smucker Co.
Autumn is officially here, and that means apple season in Ohio is in full swing. Fittingly, September is also the birth month of the well-known American icon, Johnny Appleseed. While many of us remember learning about him in grade school, it may be a surprise to learn that Johnny Appleseed’s legacy has a sweet connection to The J.M. Smucker Co. and our founder, Jerome Monroe Smucker.
The Man and His Mission
In the archives of American folklore, few figures are as endearing and enduring as Johnny Appleseed. Born John Chapman on September 26, 1774, he was a humble outdoorsman who became a legend for his unique mission: planting apple trees across the American frontier.
While much of his life was mythologized, Chapman was a real person and a true fruit visionary who saw the potential of apple orchards to sustain and nourish a growing nation. According to legend, Appleseed traveled barefoot wearing a tin pot for a hat, planting apple seeds across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, creating orchards that would provide food and cider for generations to come.
Though born in Massachusetts, most of Chapman’s adult life was spent in Ohio setting up nurseries and selling his apple tree saplings to new settlers. Until the mid-1820s, his activities were focused on the region that is now Richland, Ashland, Wayne (home to Orrville, Ohio, and our Company headquarters) and Knox counties. It was during his time in Ohio that he earned the nickname Johnny Appleseed.
The apples Chapman planted were not the sweet, crunchy varieties we enjoy today. Instead, they were small and tart, primarily used for making cider, hard cider and apple cider vinegar (and eventually fruit spreads) – all of which were staples in early American households. These apples were crucial for settlers, providing a reliable source of nutrition and a means to preserve the harvest through fermentation.
From Orchards to Jars: The Smucker’s® Connection
Fast forward to 1897, when Jerome Monroe (J.M.) Smucker founded The J.M. Smucker Co. in Orrville, Ohio. He began his business selling apple butter that, as legend has it, was made using fruit from the orchards Johnny Appleseed himself had planted decades earlier. J.M. purchased his apples from Charles and Emma Keller, a couple living near Apple Creek in Wayne County, Ohio – a town just a few miles from Orrville. Apple Creek, as one might guess, got its name because its banks had been planted with apple trees in the early 1800s by, you guessed it, Johnny Appleseed. Charles and Emma would fill their wagon and ride to J.M.’s cider mill in Orrville, where the two bartered and came to an agreement. While J.M. got to use the apples to make his apple butter, Charles took the seeds and skins that remained after the apples were pressed and used them as cattle feed. Today, Smucker's Cider Apple Butter is still one of our most beloved products.
Our Continued Commitment to Quality
Whether truth or lore, our Company’s connection to Johnny Appleseed remains a fun way to celebrate the story of this American folk hero, and we are proud to help continue his legacy by bringing our tasty Apple Butter to tables across the nation.
If you find yourself in Ohio this apple-picking season, check out the local apple orchards – many of which claim a similar connection to Johnny Appleseed himself. Happy picking, apple connoisseurs!