On this day in history, Oct. 26, 1825, Erie Canal opens, transforming American infrastructure, commerce
Fox News
The Erie Canal opened Oct. 26, 1825 and proved one of the most successful public works projects in American history, reshaping large swaths of the national economy.
"Its creation helped to make New York City the chief port in the United States and opened the western part of the state and other western territories to increased settlement and trade." "The Erie Canal's cost of construction was recovered in just nine years." The Erie Canal "helped New York become the ‘Empire State’ — the leader in population, industry and economic strength." Kerry J. Byrne is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
The canal began upon the shores of Lake Erie in Buffalo and traversed about 350 miles east, where it made a sudden southward turn around Troy and emptied into the Hudson River in downtown Albany.