Recent renovations at 323 Ouellette have uncovered a long lost sign for Calhoun The Hatter. While very dirty, the sign is painted gold leaf on the back of an original glass window for the shop.
The store appears to have been a Canadian chain, and was one of the original tenants of the Paramount Building, when it opened in 1927.
Sadly the building has been long altered and shows little of its former beauty, although a trip to Basil Court Thai restaurant, in the basement, reveals a nice marble staircase, leading down to what was originally the Paramount Cafeteria, on the lower level.
Built in 1927, the Paramount Building was designed by local architects, Pennington & Boyde.
Calhoun The Hatter ad – 1929 
Calhoun The Hatter ad – 1970
Interestingly enough I found advertisements for Calhoun The Hatter all the way up to 1970 at the same location. By 1974, advertising for a Travel Agency appears at 323 Ouellette. A long forgotten part of a long time downtown business comes back to light, however briefly, before it’s probably lost again.
Thanks to Stephen H. for the tip on this one!