First Settlers

Historical marker location:

Silver Creek, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Howard Street (New York State Route 5 at milepost 8.4) and Buffalo Street, on the right when traveling north on Howard Street.)

Marker installed: 2003

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.