Manure Spreader

Historical marker location:

440 Montauk Highway, Great River, New York

( Marker can be reached from Ruland Road, 0.2 miles south of Montauk Highway (New York State Route 27A).)

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.