advertisement

'Johnny Appleseed' trees to mark Illinois bicentennial

EFFINGHAM, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois State Historical Society is offering all 102 counties a tree that descends from an original "Johnny Appleseed" tree as part of the state's 200th birthday celebration.

The Effingham Daily News reports Illinois was dotted with apple trees from John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, in the early 19th century. The state historical society says Chapman's last-known surviving tree was at a farm in Ohio. An Illinois arboretum co-founder obtained a graft of that tree and grew the 102 bicentennial saplings.

Earlier this month one of the saplings was planted on the lawn of the Effingham County Museum. The county maintenance department will take care of the tree. Officials expect it to start producing fruit within two to three years.

Illinois' statehood bicentennial is Dec. 3, 2018.

___

Information from: Effingham Daily News, http://www.effinghamdailynews.com

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.