For generations, folklore and children’s tales have painted a gentle picture of Johnny Appleseed—a whimsical wanderer drifting barefoot across the American frontier, scattering apple seeds wherever his travels took him. Yet beneath this cozy folk tale lies a far more intriguing historical reality. The real figure behind the legend was John Chapman: a crafty, deeply complicated New Englander who was far less of a passive folk hero and far more of an ambitious nurseryman, savvy land speculator, and resilient pioneer.

Join former Arlington Historical Society President Stuart Brorson for a captivating presentation that separates myth from historical reality to reveal the flesh-and-blood man behind the legend. Brorson will trace Chapman’s extraordinary travels through the wilderness of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana during the late 1700s and early 1800s, illustrating how his shrewd business instincts, eccentric spirit, and strategic orchards forever shaped the landscape of an expanding nation.

Date: TBD
Time: TBD
7 Jason Street
Stuart Brorson

AHS Members: FREE
Non-members: $10