Historical Marker
The Lake Plain
Historical marker location:
14234 Ridge Road West, Gaines, New York
( Marker can be reached from Ridge Road (New York State Route 104) ½ mile west of Oak Orchard Road (New York State Route 98), on the right when traveling east.)
Marker installed: 1961
Historic New York.
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.