Nat'l Johnny Appleseed birthday party to be held here
Special to the Citizen
On Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m., Urbana University and American Forests Historic Tree Nursery will host the National Johnny Appleseed Birthday Party on the Urbana University campus. Hank Fincken, noted actor and portrayer, will perform his "Not 'Johnny' if You Please" play. American Forests Historic Tree Nursery Director, Jennifer Rankin will be present to plant a Johnny Appleseed tree to mark his 235th birthday. This will become an annual event at Urbana University, according to a news release.
There will be free ice cream and cake and apples for all who attend. Everyone will have the opportunity to make apple cider. The event is free and all are welcome.
The party at Urbana University is the culmination of the Johnny Appleseed Birthday Tour. It starts in Ft. Wayne, Ind., at the Johnny Appleseed Festival on Sept. 20 when a Johnny Appleseed tree will be planted near his grave site. U.S. Rep. Mark Souder will be on hand to give remarks. He hands out Johnny Appleseed award from his office on occasion.
The next event in the week-long celebration is in Rockport in Mercer County on Sept. 24 with another tree planting on land where Johnny had one of his many nurseries. He signed a 10-year contract with the land owner, Col. William Hedges, and gave him 100 apple seedlings for his apple orchard each year of the contract. Johnny Appleseed Trees will be planted on land Johnny first sowed seeds in 1828. Mike Schumm is the current owner of the farm. This is the first Johnny Appleseed Nursery to be repopulated with these apple seedlings that came from a living tree Johnny planted in North Central Ohio. The Johnny Appleseed Society and American Forests plan to re-populate many of his other nursery sites throughout the Midwest.
At 1 p.m. on Sept. 25, the Fletcher-Coffman Homestead in Dublin, located near the Johnny Appleseed Highway, Route 33, will host a Johnny Tree planting. Years ago, crab apple trees were planted along the highway, the current routes 33, 31, 68 and 25 from Pomeroy to Toledo. The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs is interested in helping re-populate the areas where the crab apple trees once stood with the Johnny Appleseed Trees. Fincken will be performing at this event as well. He has portrayed Johnny Appleseed to audiences over 1,000 times.
The Samuel Davis Home in Hilliard once had a Johnny Appleseed Orchard. The home is listed on the National Historical Registry and was built in 1811. The planting time at the Davis home is 4 p.m. on Sept. 25. Fincken will be on stage to perform his play following the planting.
American Forests and the Johnny Appleseed Society at Urbana University are co-sponsoring the 2009 Johnny Appleseed Birthday Tour. Other sponsors are The Johnny Appleseed Foundation and Courtyard Marriott of Columbus, Springfield and Dayton.
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