Medina in Orleans County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Erie Canal

Photographed by Bradley Owen, June 27, 2025

1. Erie Canal Marker

Inscription.
The Erie Canal is North America’s most successful and enduring man-made waterway. Opened in 1825, it connects the Atlantic Ocean to the upper Great Lakes. The canal runs east and west more than 350 miles between the Hudson River near Albany and Lake Erie at Buffalo. Along the way, locks raise and lower boats more than 570 feet.

The canal opened the interior of North America and transformed New York into the Empire State. Settlers and immigrants pressed westward on the Erie Canal, giving rise to cities and new industries in New York and the Midwest. The products of farms and factories moved east to markets along the Atlantic.

Enlarged over the years to accommodate larger boats, the Erie Canal still operates as an active and historic waterway for all to enjoy.

The Canal System

You can travel the Erie Canal by boat, bike, or on foot across New York State. The Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals branch off to form a network of inland waterways connecting the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, Lake Champlain, and Canadian waters.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Erie Canal series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1825.

Location. 43° 13.284′ N, 78° 23.153′ W. Marker is in Medina, New York, in Orleans County. It can be reached from Mill Street (Manilla Place on Google) east of Main Street (New York State Route 63), on the left when traveling east. Marker is located along the boat dock in Medina Harbor. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Medina NY 14103, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Western New York,

in the Finger Lakes,

and in the Rochester Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

Photographed by Bradley Owen, June 27, 2025

2. Erie Canal Marker

this marker: Medina (a few steps from this marker); Greater Medina Area (within shouting distance of this marker); Medina Aqueduct (within shouting distance of this marker); On This Site Circa 1919 Alonzo L. Waters (within shouting distance of this marker); Medina Sandstone (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); White's Hotel (about 300 feet away); Grover Cleveland & Frances Folsom (about 300 feet away); Frederick Douglass (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Medina.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Last Blacksmith Shop in Orleans County (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 135 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.