3 Chapter 10 The Legend Lives On

Chapter 10 The Legend Lives On Twenty-six years after Johnny died, an author wrote an article about him in Harper's New Monthly Magazine. It was called "Johnny Appleseed—A Pioneer Hero." Readers all over America enjoyed reading about Johnny's unusual life. Imagine a barefoot man roaming through the forest to plant apple seeds! Interest in him grew, and people wanted to know more about him. Johnny didn't leave any letters or diaries behind to tell us about his life. Luckily, a few people were so interested in him that they did some detective work. In the 1930s, a Leominster, Massachusetts, librarian named Florence Wheeler decided to find out more about his family. She studied records that

showed who owned land in the area and the dates they bought and sold it. Through birth and death records, she found more information. We now know the names of five generations of Johnny's ancestors. It turns out that he wasn't the first person in his family to love apples. His great-great-great-grandparents grew apple trees in Massachusetts in the 1670s. And one of his relatives was a wealthy English count who did science experiments!

A woman in Ohio was interested in Johnny, too. Florence Murdock collected anything she found that was related to him. Her collection included articles that were published about him and old letters that mentioned him. She even managed to preserve leaves saved from trees he actually

planted! Today her collection is part of the Johnny Appleseed Museum in Urbana, Ohio. The legend of Johnny Appleseed continues to grow. Books and songs have been written about him. There are websites about him. In Leominster, there is a school named for Johnny Appleseed. There is even an official Johnny Appleseed Trail in northern Massachusetts.

Every September, Johnny Appleseed festivals are held in various towns. There are parades, games for children, and contests to see who can bake the best apple pies.

In Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Johnny Appleseed Memorial Park was named in his honor. A monument there marks what some people believe to be his grave. However, it's uncertain if this is really where Johnny was buried.