Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman (September 26, 1774–February 18, 1847), was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced the apple to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He became an American legend while still alive, largely because of his kind and generous ways, his great leadership in conservation, and the symbolic importance of apples.

He was also a missionary for the Church of the New Jerusalem, or Swedenborgian Church, so named because it teaches the theological doctrines contained in the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborgian history. Retrieved September 9, 2006 from http://swedenborg.org/jappleseed/history.html