Chapman's Lost Pear

OUR STORY

In 1826, John Chapman also known as Johnny Appleseed, is recorded in the historical record being in the area attending to his nursery business around the Little Miami River near Lebanon, Ohio. I was approached by a woman who grew up on a farm near Lebanon, Ohio owned by her grandmother. Her grandmother, in order to keep the farm going and bills paid after her husband passed away, turned the farm house into a nursing home to care for the areas elderly. This woman who approached me said that there was a elderly resident there named Ben Watkins, born 1850, who repeatedly told her family when she was a young girl that John Chapman planted the very large and old pear tree that sits on this farm, which corroborates with the earlier record of Chapman's presence in the area. Ben Watkins then told her that John Chapman actually planted 3 pear trees on her grandmother's farm as well as planting 3 pear trees each on 2 nearby farms. All of these other trees are no longer on these farms, but this one pear tree remains. A representative of the Ohio State Champion Tree registry has estimated the age of the tree as being between 150 and 230 years old, again matching with the known timeline of Johnny Appleseed. We are actively working to verify the exact age of the tree in cooperation with the Johnny Appleseed Museum. Once the age is verified we can say for certain it is a Chapman Pear tree. We will keep you posted. For those who need no further evidence you can reserve a tree for spring shipment. 20% of sales proceeds are donated to the Johnny Appleseed Museum. Grows up to 15 feet USDA zones 5-10 Pears are very sweet, fibrous, and have a slight nutty flavor.

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