Johnston Farm & Indian Agency Native American, Frontier, and Canal History

Photo courtesy of Richard Smith

Concerning my Fruit Trees

Tally -  1. best golden pippin

2 is Nolling’s Gennetings

3 is five different kinds from Detroit

4 is pound pippin

5 is Hughes Crabb

6 is pound red from Detroit

7 is pound apple

8 is pound white from Detroit

9 is McMahon’s apple

The remainder is various

Kinds of the best fruit

Number one is planted next to the

House and the number next in

Order so on to the back side

Of the orchard.  The orchard was planted on the 10^th

November 1808 (?)

Letter from microfilm located at the Piqua Public Library

This recreation of the Johnston's 1828 Cider House brings to mind cool autumn afternoons when the frontier family would gather together to peel and process apples to create products that would prove invaluable to them throughout the year.  The Johnstons made both hard and soft cider, which were used as products for sale and trade, as well as apple cider vinegar. 

Apples were one of John Johnston's main crops.  He was known for innovative farming and had at least two orchards with eight varieties of apples, including Golden Pippins and McMahon's.