The Nemeses Of Dudley Do-Right?

The Calhoun Building, at 711 Lake St. (near Lyndale), was built by the Calhoun Commercial Club. It was completed in 1914 at a cost of $135,000, and was supposed to feature a bowling alley, an auditorium and rooms for club activities, along with commercial space for lease. I've not found much about the club and its function, except mentions in the bios of a few old members.

Over at the Historical Society, you can see the evolution of both the building and the cars parked in front of it from 1918 to 1956. The Hennepin County Library has the many women of the Red Cross Auxiliary assembled in front of the building in June 1917. Finally, check out this 1925 stag party of the club. Either wearing fake mustaches was part of the fun or you had to be Dastardly Whiplash to join it.

There is no word as to whether there is any movement to change the building's name, as there is for the nearby lake that is also named after the former Vice President and slavery proponent John C. Calhoun. Oddly, Mr. Calhoun did not wear a mustache, although he did look like a character from the muppets.