John Chapman, author of the original Johnny Apple Seed book, was not a superhero like George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, but he became a simply delightful character by planting apple trees across much of the unpopulated early Americas.
Why did Dr. Apple want to become the Johnny Apple Seed of the twentieth century? He wanted to show how different life was in the early twentieth century, how young children could get into so much mischief, causing trouble and at times getting hurt. And then cause more mischief the next time they are out playing and growing up in the oil fields. John knew that young children loved the original story, so he thought life in the Coalinga, California Oil Fields would be of interest and become loved as much as the original story.
How long will career number three last for Dr. Apple? He is in his early nineties and going strong. John shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Hopefully, he will live into his hundreds so he can write another book about a hundred years with Johnny Apple Seed. He currently resides in the Central Valley of California with his son. Johnny Apple Seed in the Twentieth Century is a positive story to give the future generations a reason to be successful.