These Gates

Historical marker location:

Saratoga Springs, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Congress Street and Broadway, on the right when traveling east on Congress Street.)

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.