Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, behind New York City. Originating around 1789 as a small trading community near the eponymous Buffalo Creek,[ Buffalo grew quickly after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, with the city as its western terminus. By 1900, Buffalo was the 8th largest city in the country, and went on to become a major railroad hub, the largest grain-milling center in the country,and the home of the largest steel-making operation in the world. Today, the region's largest economic sector is health and education,and these continue to grow despite the lagging worldwide economy.