Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department

Historical marker location:

Cold Spring Harbor, New York

( Marker is at the intersection of Harbor Road (New York State Route 25A) and Elm Place, on the right when traveling north on Harbor Road.)

Marker installed: 1993

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.