Historical Marker
Elihu Root
Historical marker location:
22 Irving Place, New York, New York
( Marker is on Irving Place, on the right when traveling north.)
Marker installed: 1965
New York, Home of Distinguished Americans. February 15, 1845 - February 7, 1937.
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.