Lisbon, New York of 1812, preceded by a US embargo against trade with Canada, which damaged the upstate economy; and the construction of the Erie Canal in 1824, which enabled transportation between areas accessible to the Great Lakes and New York City. Development and population flowed west. The Town of Lisbon was the first town in the county; it was formed in 1801, before the county was established. The former Lisbon Railroad Depot, now operated as the town museum, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Also listed are the Lisbon Town Hall and United Presbyterian Church. According to
Chenango Canal in a water highway to what would become the Midwestern United States, connecting to the Great Lakes at Buffalo. It connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and then to the port of New York City. The Erie made use of the favorable conditions of New York's unique topography which provided that area with the only break in the Appalachian range—allowing for east-west navigation from the Atlantic coast to the Great Lakes. The canal system gave New York State a competitive advantage, helped New York City develop as an international trade center, and allowed Buffalo to grow from just