Hotel Van Curler

Historical marker location:

78 Washington Ave., Schenectady, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Washington Ave and State Street (New York State Route 5), on the right when traveling south on Washington Ave.)

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.