Historical Marker
Greater Ambitions
Historical marker location:
52 Valkill Park Rd, Hyde Park, New York
( Marker can be reached from Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site near New York State Route 9G.)
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.
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.