Sweet, Tart, and Golden

About the Book

Historically, apples were brought to the New World by British settlers as a source for hard cider, an everyday drink of the time. In the Midwest – particularly Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan – they played a role in settlers establishing new homes with a semblance of “civilization” familiar from the east coast. Apple trees and orchards became a common part of the Midwestern landscape, and all three states today have a thriving apple industry. Apples themselves became a fundamental part of Midwestern culture. They tend to carry images of being wholesome, healthful, straightforward, versatile, and “all-American,” all of which are characteristics oftentimes applied to Midwesterners. Numerous towns and orchards now hold apple festivals during the fall harvest season, which celebrate some aspect of the fruit and promote appreciation of history and place. In a region heavily shaped by industrialization, scientific agriculture, and commodity crops, apple-based events celebrate close connections with nature and continuity with the past. Apples in the Midwestern Imagination explores how apples figure in a sense of place and emotional attachment to that place for residents of the eastern Midwest. A closer look at apples in the region illustrates the complexity, diversity, and richness, as well as contradictions of Midwestern cultural identity.

* Publication of this book was supported in part by a grant from the L. J. and Mary C. Skaggs Folklore Fund.