First Railroad

Historical marker location:

Albany, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Western Ave and Madison Ave., on the right when traveling east on Western Ave.)

Marker installed: 1940

The Erie Canal, which opened in 1825 and connects the Hudson River to the Great Lakes, was originally mocked as "Clinton's Folly" after Governor DeWitt Clinton, who championed the project. However, the canal became an economic boon for New York and helped turn the state into a major commercial center.