h is t o r y by Marlen Mathias Photos courtesy of the Johhny Appleseed Foundation
Apples, Health, History Dublin’s ties to Johnny Appleseed 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.
Mathias digging a hole for one of the Johnny Appleseed saplings.
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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-forgranted 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. VinAn apple tree at the Coffman Homestead in Dublin is egar is a great natural dis- known to be a direct descendant of a tree planted by infectant still used today. Johnny Appleseed. Apples were often sliced thin and dried, allowing easy storage so the Today, there are four Rambo apple fruit could be used to make applesauce, pies trees planted at the Coffman Homestead or other foods throughout the winter sea- on Emerald Parkway. These trees are dison. During harvest season apple rect descendants from a tree known to peeling became a social event with have been planted by Johnny Applemen running the apple peelers and seed. The Rambo apple makes some of women slicing the apples for dry- the very best applesauce with little or no ing. Unmarried men or women sugar necessary. would toss apple peels over their The Johnny Appleseed Museum is tarshoulders to see if the peels geting a fall opening. Anyone interested would form a letter suggesting in volunteering or making a donation to who they might marry. the Johnny Appleseed Foundation can do Even whiskey made from so at www.johnnyappleseedmuseum.org. apples was not only used for drinking but for many me- Marlen Mathias is a Dublin resident and dicinal purposes. Despite these varied vice president of the Johnny Appleseed uses, during prohibition federal agents cut Foundation. Feedback welcome at down many apple orchards in Ohio. feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com. www.dublinlifemagazine.com
