The largest animal that has ever lived. The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have existed. During the 20th century, the species was an important whaling target and even after it was protected and commercial whaling stopped in 1964, exploitation efforts by the former Soviet Union persisted.
The Erie Canal is the place where the young United States, and its religiosity, ceased looking to the East and the past â Europe and New England â and began looking West and to the future â to a grand unfolding continent.
New York has long been a state of big ideas and the kind of can-do spirit that turns them into reality. Credit for this entrepreneurial attitude is due, in part, to a nationally-significant treasure: the Erie Canal. Built between 1817 and 1825, the original Erie Canal traversed 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo. It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in North America. The canal put New York on the map as the Empire Stateâthe leader in population, industry, and economic strength.