In 1749, the area's first settler, Charles Chauvin, planted near this spot 12 Jesuit pear trees imported from his native France - one for each of the Apostles of Christ. Graftings from those ancient trees, which survive nearby, provided the three saplings planted here - one for each century of the Windsor-Detroit Tricentennial Celebration. The hardy, high-yielding trees, unique in North America, are appropriate symbols of the enduring spirit, endurance and productivity of this community.