Bennett’s Market
25113 Jefferson Ave.

John and Helen Bennett opened a store at this location about 1934, after moving from another Jefferson Avenue building. Bennett’s Grocery served residents as a general store until the 1990s.

John and Helen Bennett opened their original store about 1923, but less than a decade later, they moved to the 25113 Jefferson location.  Their general store sold cigars, soft drinks, candy, meats, groceries, and yes, beer.

John F. Bennett was born in Thompsonville, Connecticut on March 29, 1895 to Morris and Margaret Bennett, both Irish immigrants.  On John’s 1917 World War I draft card, his occupation was listed as “butcher”.  He served in the U.S. Navy from 1917 to 1919.  John married Helen, another Connecticut native, whose father also was an Irish immigrant, when they were both about 24.  The young couple moved to Michigan soon thereafter.

The Bennett family (son John Jr. was born in 1919 in Detroit) lived next to their store on Jefferson Avenue for several years, but by 1940 had moved to a house on Bon Brae Street.  The 1940 US Census lists John Bennett Sr. as “proprietor—retail grocery” who worked 70 hours per week.  Mrs. Bennett did not work, according to census records.

Mr. Bennett died in 1979; Helen Bennett lived another six years, but Bennett’s Market was open until the mid-1990s.

Now: Baffin Brewing Co.
Opened: 2015
Owned by: Joe Dowd and Joe Vandermarliere

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