Triangle Fire

Historical marker location:

23 - 29 Washington Place, New York, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Washington Place and Greene Street, on the right when traveling west on Washington Place.)

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.