Albany Path Ska-Nek-Ta-De

Historical marker location:

Schenectady, New York

( Marker is on State Street (New York State Route 5) just south of Stanford Ave., on the right when traveling east.)

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.