Bennett Gate

Historical marker location:

Poughkeepsie, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Raymond Avenue (New York State Route 376) and Collegeview Avenue, on the left when traveling south on Raymond Avenue.)

Marker installed: 2009

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.