Who is William (Bill) Ellery Jones from The Botany of Desire and what is their importance?

William Ellery Jones is presented as Ohio's leading authority on Johnny Appleseed. By profession, he is a fund-raising consultant, but by passion he is an Appleseed historian. At the time of publication, Jones was raising money to establish a Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center and Outdoor Theater near Mansfield, Ohio. He is presented as a consummate Appleseed enthusiast, but the author finds most of Jones' purportedly historical information to be over-enthusiastic and suspect.