The canal that Canal Street was named after existed only for a short time. It was built in 1807 to drain the Collect Pond into the Hudson River. The pond and the canal were both buried by 1819, but Canal Street kept its name for eternity.
Automobiles, buildings, and advertisements, including a billboard for Beacon Wax, along Canal street in Manhattan. Sign for 243 Canal St. visible on right, Oct 1952