Talk: Story of visit of Johnny Appleseed

Collected by Merlin Mitchell Transcribed by Kyle Perrin Reel 40 Item 4 Mrs. Bemert Springdale, Ark. April 19, 1950 Story of Visit of Johnny Appleseed Mrs.B..I read that old book here a while back. According to Mother, he'd go West in the f a l l with his appleseeds. And then he'd go back in the Spring--well it was bad weather there in Ohio and— shoes—just wrapped his feet in rags or old tow-sacks. And he never had a nickle in his l i f e . He wouldn't have money. Anybody offer him anything he wouldn't take i t . People was good to him and they got to where they knew him, I reckon. He made two or three trips there at my grandfathers. And he'd couldn't travel. Mitch. .And to pay f o r his room and board he usually planted the appleseeds. Mrs.B..He just give them some appleseeds. And then just before l e f t Ohio, I think I was about four years old, we moved from one place to another, and we'se just about, I guess, three-quarters of a mile from my grandfather's home—where my mother was raised. And there was appletrees on that place there that I wouldn't be surprised i f they wasn't some of his. Oh, they'se fine apples. I often wish I could just get a-hold of some of them apples. we had in Ohio, Belflour and Sheeprose and a Shannon—-Pippin, a Winesap and several different kinds. Trees there was just like forest trees. Mitch..Well, you say Johnny Appleseed did v i s i t your home there. Mrs.B..My grandmothers--my mothers. Mitch ..Your grandmothers. Mrs.B..She was just a g i r l . And there was a piece in the paper here a while back said he started out in about 1800. Any rate, they book claims that was the way he got his—his name is Johnny Miers—Johnny Miers. And his brother told him, Now, if you start out with these apple seeds, they'll all nickname you and they'll call you Uncle Johnny Appleseed. He went by that name all his l i f e. Mitch..Do you remember anything that your folks said about him—when he visited there? Mrs.B. .Well, not only—he just stayed with them and they treated him alright and fed him as long as he'd stay until the roads would get better and he'd go on—further on. Make his way back. He's from Pennsylvania. That's where he'd start from.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation