Samuel DenHartog's Blog: The Road to 1,440 - Posts Tagged "johnny-appleseed"
Go on a real adventure with "The Journey of Johnny Appleseed"
Greetings, Dreamers and Pioneers,
I invite you to join me on my latest literary journey, "The Journey of Johnny Appleseed," where we traverse the sprawling landscapes of early America through the eyes of a legendary folk hero. This book sails us into the realms of historical fiction, blending the crisp air of factual narratives with the sweet aroma of apple-laden tales.
Follow Johnny — wearing his iconic tin pot on his hat — as he criss-crosses the American frontier. Our path is dotted with hearty apple trees, each a marker of Johnny’s unyielding spirit and enduring legacy. From the rustic terrains of Ohio to the bustling early days of Fort Wayne, Indiana, our journey is packed with encounters that paint a portrait of a man whose simple mission helped shape the nation.
"The Journey of Johnny Appleseed" is about the seeds of character, kindness, and legacy that flourish in the wildest of soils. Dive into a story where each chapter is a new planting ground and every page blooms with tales of courage and conviction. As Johnny scatters seeds, I invite you to harvest the fruits of a story that marries the past with the eternal cycles of growth and renewal.
Embark on this journey, taste the apples of lore, and discover how the legends of yesterday feed the roots of today's dreams.
With the joy of shared journeys,
Samuel DenHartog
I invite you to join me on my latest literary journey, "The Journey of Johnny Appleseed," where we traverse the sprawling landscapes of early America through the eyes of a legendary folk hero. This book sails us into the realms of historical fiction, blending the crisp air of factual narratives with the sweet aroma of apple-laden tales.
Follow Johnny — wearing his iconic tin pot on his hat — as he criss-crosses the American frontier. Our path is dotted with hearty apple trees, each a marker of Johnny’s unyielding spirit and enduring legacy. From the rustic terrains of Ohio to the bustling early days of Fort Wayne, Indiana, our journey is packed with encounters that paint a portrait of a man whose simple mission helped shape the nation.
"The Journey of Johnny Appleseed" is about the seeds of character, kindness, and legacy that flourish in the wildest of soils. Dive into a story where each chapter is a new planting ground and every page blooms with tales of courage and conviction. As Johnny scatters seeds, I invite you to harvest the fruits of a story that marries the past with the eternal cycles of growth and renewal.
Embark on this journey, taste the apples of lore, and discover how the legends of yesterday feed the roots of today's dreams.
With the joy of shared journeys,
Samuel DenHartog
The truth about Johnny Appleseed
In my research for the historical fiction book, "The Journey of Johnny Appleseed", I uncovered some fascinating, lesser-known facts that I chose not to include in the narrative but felt worth sharing:
The apples Johnny Chapman carried to the frontier were unlike any you'd find in today's grocery stores or farmers' markets. These apples were not typically eaten but were mainly used to produce hard apple cider, the favored drink in America at that time.
Grafting is a crucial technique in apple, grape, and other fruit tree cultivation. Apples that grow from seeds are often so tart that they earned the nickname "spitters," because that's probably what you'd do after tasting one.
On the frontier in New England, it was common for people to consume 10.52 ounces of hard cider daily, a stark contrast to the average modern American's consumption of 20 ounces of water today. Hard cider was as staple a part of the meal as meat or bread.
John Chapman passed away in 1845, and many of his orchards and unique apple varieties did not last much beyond his death. During Prohibition, FBI agents chopped down many apple trees that produced the sour, bitter fruits used for cider. This act nearly wiped out the traditional cider apple, obscuring a significant part of Chapman’s legacy and America's alcoholic heritage.
These insights, while not included in my book, enrich the backdrop against which my story is set and highlight some intriguing aspects of early American life.
The article attached is just one of many that discuss this somewhat sad reality and ending.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-c...
The apples Johnny Chapman carried to the frontier were unlike any you'd find in today's grocery stores or farmers' markets. These apples were not typically eaten but were mainly used to produce hard apple cider, the favored drink in America at that time.
Grafting is a crucial technique in apple, grape, and other fruit tree cultivation. Apples that grow from seeds are often so tart that they earned the nickname "spitters," because that's probably what you'd do after tasting one.
On the frontier in New England, it was common for people to consume 10.52 ounces of hard cider daily, a stark contrast to the average modern American's consumption of 20 ounces of water today. Hard cider was as staple a part of the meal as meat or bread.
John Chapman passed away in 1845, and many of his orchards and unique apple varieties did not last much beyond his death. During Prohibition, FBI agents chopped down many apple trees that produced the sour, bitter fruits used for cider. This act nearly wiped out the traditional cider apple, obscuring a significant part of Chapman’s legacy and America's alcoholic heritage.
These insights, while not included in my book, enrich the backdrop against which my story is set and highlight some intriguing aspects of early American life.
The article attached is just one of many that discuss this somewhat sad reality and ending.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-c...
The Road to 1,440
I'm Samuel DenHartog, and at 51, at the end of November of 2023, I've embarked on a remarkable journey as a writer. My diverse background in computer programming, video game development, and film prod
...more
- Samuel DenHartog's profile
- 111 followers
