First County Courthouse

Historical marker location:

Onondaga Hill, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Velasko Road (County Route 130) and West Seneca Turnpike (New York State Route 175), on the right when traveling south on Velasko Road.)

Marker installed: 1932

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.