Henry Lewis and His Jewelry Store

Henry Allen Lewis founded Henry’s Camera & Jewelry Shop in 1950, with an advertisement in the Flint Journal on May 16th of that year declaring it a “Gift Destination” for those needing a Mother’s Day Gift. 519 Harrison Street is the listed address, but the store moved to 1640 S. Saginaw Street as of November 9th, 1952, when Henry advertised watch cleaning as an additional service. This same location remains a Jewelry shop in 2026, with Julie’s Pawn & Jewelry Sales open for business. 

The mid 1950s saw an uptick in excitement for Henry and his store, for better and for worse. First, on the good side, Henry Lewis's store became so popular that in 1958, he opened a second store at 907 Leight St. This announcement came along with a second announcement; Henry was running for 9th ward commissioner (more on that later). 

Second, and on the bad side, a string of robberies and vandalizations hit Henry's stores. On June 18th, 1955, a watch was stolen from Henry's Camera & Jewelry Shop. On April 18th, 1962, a collection of records was stolen, and almost exactly a year later April 23rd, 1963, a collection of radios and jewelry was stolen, totaling over $1,000. Luckily, the culprit, Robert L. Carter, was found and arrested on September 27th that year. With the arrest of Robert Carter, the news on the store goes quiet. Henry Allen Lewis is no longer the owner of the business in 1974. 

Stepping away from the store, let's shift focus to Henry Allen Lewis, the founder of Henry's Camera & Jewelry Store. Born on November 15th, 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Henry met his wife Bessie May Ennis (born August 21st, 1924) and married her in 1943.  

After marrying Bessie, Henry took up service in the United State military, becoming an Air Cadet during World War II. At some point during the war, he moved to administration services for the U.S. government. 

Following his military service, the Allen family moved to the Flint area and took it by storm, becoming successful business owners during their 30 years of residence in the city. 

• Allen May Studio in 1948, which lasted until 1962. 
• Henry’s Camera & Jewelry Store in 1950, lasting till 1974. 
• Henry Allen Lewis Realty from 1954 until 1976. 
• Henry’s Econo-Wash from 1960 to 1972. 
• Henry’s Music & Cigarette Vending Service from 1958 to 1976. 
• A-OK Construction Corp., Inc. from 1966 to 1974. 
• Co-partnership of 5th Avenue Car Wash from 1968 to 1974. 
• Member of Northern Aviation Corp. from 1967 to 1971 
• Member of Flint’s Bishop Airport Commission from 1970 to 1976. 

Now, this sounds like a lot... right? Beyond the many business endeavors of the Lewis family, Henry A. Lewis ran for both local and state level political offices. On July 6th, 1958, The Flint Journal announced Henry’s run for the 9th ward commissioner. On May 19th, 1960, Henry announced his run for State Representative. Unfortunately for Henry, he lost both races. But, he also found time to be a member of the Bethel United Methodist Church, which is still open today. 

In 1976, Henry and Bessie Lewis moved from Flint, Michigan, to San Diego, California, for Henry to pursue his realty business in a different state. 11 years later, on April 15th, 1987, Henry Allen Lewis passed away in California. His wife, Bessie Ennis, passed away three years later. 

While we have talked about businesses and the people, there is one more category that needs a shout out. Tippy, the Lewis family dog and local celebrity in downtown Flint. Tippy developed a sweet tooth in 1959 when the Lewis family bought him ice cream for the first time, creating a "lifelong obsession" with the treat. Tippy then learned that the sound of money jingling in a pocket/wallet might mean the purchase of ice cream, which would make Tippy scurry to the door, waiting to be let out. 

Tippy became so well trained to this response that he learned the route to the local drug store (where all the employees knew him), knew to wait for ice cream at the counter, and knew how to get back to his owners' place of business.