One Hundred Links Equals One Chain | Part 1

My name is Stephen Cruise and I did this sculpture, "A Hundred Links One Chain". It's comprised of two elements with a third that is integrated into the walkway that links the two sites. This was a commemorative piece to identify David Gibson, Ontario's first land surveyor. And still to this day people in the trade marvel at the fact that he did his surveying with his one hundred links, which equals one chain, which equals 66 feet, and he did it by himself, he wasn't part of a team. And they marvel at the fact that to this day they are as accurate as can be done with modern technology.

This was David Gibson's house and also farm. It had an apple orchard as well as fields, crops and areas for his animals. Where we are now is in the rose... what's called the Rose Garden, and immediately to the west you'll see 2 piers that are brick. On the north pier is a very large bronze apple, on the south pier is a small Clydesdale horse with the name on the backside. In between the two piers you can make note of the pavers, and on the pavers are water-jet cut names of seven cows that came out of David Gibson's diary at the time when he notated all the animals that were in his barn in 1861.

And this was his apple orchard. And on the north side there's still one apple tree still remaining. So we're looking at something that's over a hundred and, almost, fifty years old. But this tree still produces bushels and bushels of apples every year.

Want to hear more? Check out Part 2.

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