Whitney's Landing

Historical marker location:

6617 NY Route 89, Ovid, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of New York State Route 89 and South Cayuga Lake Road/Elm Beach Road, on the right when traveling north on State Route 89.)

Marker installed: 1939

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.