Historical Marker
Poster Project
Historical marker location:
318 Erie Boulevard East, Syracuse, New York
( Marker can be reached from Erie Boulevard East (New York State Route 5) just east of Montgomery Street, on the right when traveling east.)
Canal side commerce, briefcase, balloon, umbrella, echos of past steps.
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.