'''John Chapman''' (September 26, 1774{{spaced ndash}}March 18, 1845), often called '''Johnny Appleseed''', was an American pioneer [[Plant nursery|nurseryman]] who introduced apple trees to large parts of [[Pennsylvania]], [[Ohio]], [[Indiana]], and [[Illinois]], as well as the northern counties of present day [[West Virginia]]. He became [[Folklore of the United States|an American legend]] while still alive, due to his kind, generous ways, his leadership in [[Conservation movement|conservation]], and the [[Apple (symbolism)|symbolic importance he attributed to apples]]. He was also a [[missionary]] for [[The New Church|The New Church (Swedenborgian)]]<ref name=swedhist>''Swedenborgian history'' Retrieved September 9, 2006 from [http://swedenborg.org/jappleseed/history.html http://swedenborg.org/jappleseed/history.html]</ref> and the inspiration for many museums and historical sights such as the Johnny Appleseed Museum<ref name=appleseedmuseum>[http://urbana.edu/resources/community/johnny-appleseed.html ]</ref> in [[Urbana, Ohio]] and the Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center<ref>{{cite web|title=The Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Drama|accessdate=2006-09-05|url=http://www.jahci.org/}}</ref> in between [[Lucas, Ohio]] and [[Mifflin, Ohio]].

John Chapman was born in [[Leominster, Massachusetts]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Means, Howard|title=Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story|page= 19|location=New York|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2011|isbn=1439178259}}</ref> the second child (after his sister, Elizabeth) of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Chapman (née Simonds, married February 8, 1770) of [[Massachusetts]]. His birthplace has a granite marker, and the street is called ''Johnny Appleseed Lane''. Nathaniel Chapman fought at [[Battle of Concord|Concord]] as a [[Minuteman]] as early as April 19, 1775, and later served in the [[Continental Army]] with General [[George Washington]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]].