South Cliff

Historical marker location:

Fort Wadsworth, Gateway National Park, Staten Island, New York

Gateway National Recreation Area, Fort Wadsworth. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

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.