Rialto Theater

Historical marker location:

400 Main Street, East Rochester, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and East Elm Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street.)

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.