Mary Lee Minor
| Special to Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum
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USA TODAY
On a brisk Wednesday morning, Oct. 22, the doors of the youth building at the Crawford County fairgrounds opened to garden club members from seven counties. Those members of the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs and their guests numbered 95.
Tables were covered in cloths that carried the American flag colors. There were plates full of several apple varieties. Centerpieces were red, white and blue, with each holding the Ohio pennant flag.
Members of the Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club greeted each guest with a name tag, a John Chapman stamp and their name. A breakfast buffet was offered by the Presidential Gardeners of Marion.
A flower show employed the theme “America 250-Ohio Style” and featured Ohio historical events and people. Horticulture exhibits were in place with names and artistic arrangements depicted the titles. Displays that shared Harding Memorial and John Chapman added to the show.
Several vendors offered a variety of gardening related items. When a business meeting got underway at 10 a.m., the officers for region seven were installed by OAGC State Secretary Julie Divelbiss. Charlotte Benedict as regional director, Sue Quigley as secretary and June Gebhardt, the new treasurer, will serve a two-year term.
Several clubs were given grants by the regional board for projects in their own cities and towns. The morning speaker was Elaine Gebhardt Naples, who unfurled her 8 years of research on the activities of John Chapman here in Crawford County. “Why Chapman Lives on in America’s Collective Memory…and he has roots in Crawford County Too” was her slide presentation.
Finley Hill at the point of the present Arby’s site actually held an “Appleseed” tree; the Old McMichael Farm also hosted a tree from Appleseed stock. Apple cider could be consumed in lieu of water. Apple butter allowed for longtime storage of apples. Apples were dried and later rehydrated. Elaine showed a constructed apple that will be placed in the coming Norton Park north of Bucyrus as a memorial to Chapman.
After lunch, Ken Hammontree of Ashland documented John Chapman’s activity in first-person, moving through the audience. He summarized the work of establishing orchards with his brother. Seeds were gathered from apple-pressing locations then planted as orchards.
John owned land. To create a homestead, settlers were granted 100 acres of land, but had to plant 100 apple trees to show in earnest their intentions. Most of them had no money, but Chapman bartered or accepted traded possessions as payment. Many garden club members in attendance were from Delaware, Knox and Richland Counties, and knew of Chapman’s influence there. John Chapman exhibits were borrowed from the city of Mansfield.
As the day ended, flower show results were announced and door prizes were given. A silent auction of 21 different items brought results as winners’ names were drawn. Visions of John Chapman were planted in the heads of all who attended.
Mary Lee Minor is a member of the Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club, an accredited master gardener, a flower show judge for the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs and a former sixth grade teacher.
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