My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. When did Boblo boat stop running? The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the Bob-Lo Discovery Centre. The ride takes about 5 or 10 minutes, instead of the hour it used to take whenone departedon the other side of the border. Peering through the broken glass, one can see water covering portions of the floor. Claire and the SS Columbia? Its a shame that Boblo Island had to close. Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. Residents of the small community live among acres and acres of nature, just steps from water. [2], Though it was not looking for a buyer, the Michigan AAA sold Boblo Island in 1988 to the International Broadcasting Corporation, a Minneapolis-based concern that owned the Harlem Globetrotters and Ice Capades. ), Thank you so much for the great information. To get to Bob-Lo Islandin the 21st century, you takea ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario, instead of from the old dock on Jefferson Avenuein Detroit. A private community is now being built on the island. Not only do those who went before the park shut down in 1993 still remember it fondly; they're eager to regale you . The ferry runs 365 days a year, departing every 20 minutes. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. Im glad you made this comment. The boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. Claire. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. Each historical society serves as a bead on a rosary linking current and future generations to the past, acts as a tool to support prayers of keeping the memories alive, keeps a link to the human roots of a distinctive place that has meant many things to many people over the years. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. Over four decades, later, on July 30, 2011, I spent an afternoon on Bob-Lo. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Of more concern than strangers arriving by ferry would be the boats that pull up and anchor around the island on summer days. -Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park 1898-1993 Thanks . - Sally. Peaking through the windows, you can see it's being used for storage. By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. The SS Ste. Valentine and Sons United Publishing Company - This image is part of the Canadian Copyright Collection held by the British Library, and has been digitized as part of the "Picturing Canada" project. [16] Moodenbaugh later sued Benaroya and others for attempting to sell the park while he lay in a "virtual coma". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/historic-boblo-island-blo_n_1098807.html, http://www.flickr.com/photos/33535417@N05/4112593095/, http://www.boblo.ca/pages/living/restaurant.html, https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina, http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit, http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development, http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/, Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant Houzz Home, Slaves (traveling the Underground Railroad), The south blockhouse, built in 1838 (Update: See. This is a small area of the white sand beach open to residents of Boblo Island. At about 34-square miles, the island is 12 miles long and six miles long. I do hope that someone will come along and restore the park back to its prime, so we can get families and the community back together again, and we can share our memories with the generations to come. . About Boblo Island Amusement Park: Is it an easy walk to the restaurant on the west side from the ferry dock? This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). Gloomy days sometimes deserve black and white treatment. Unfortunately, my search came up empty. The last screams of joy could be heard from the little island of fun 25 years ago as the Cedar Point of Michigan closed for the final time. It is not fair that these people can just take away the little bit of history we have left just so they can watch their bank accounts rise. Detroit Publishing Co via the Library of Congress, This appears to be the SS Columbia Boblo Boat, which was built in 1902, Ferry dock on Boblo Island - between 1890 and 1901. The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. Sue Cicala. The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. There were several trips from Detroit each day, but only two stops in Wyandotte. Bois Blanc is known regionally as the former home of the Boblo Island Amusement Park, which began operation in 1898 and closed on September 30, 1993. The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. http://bit.ly/2cIo6Ny (Video by Alex Atwell), VINTAGE BOBLO: Throwback video of the old Boblo boat and Boblo Island. Hard to believe it was an big destination, it seems too small to support an amusement park. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Its entrance is at Vernon Boulevard and Main Street in Astoria. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. The native Wyandot called the island "Etiowiteendannenti.Both the Wyandot and French names refer to the white wood appearance lent by the birch and poplar trees that line the banks. With a blast of the big steam whistle, lines were cast off, and the 20-mile voyage began, taking about 80 minutes. In this respect, today, Bob-Lo Island appears a bead broken off from the strand, adrift in more than just the Detroi River, its historic integrity drowned in the current of a sequence of ill-fated development schemes. Look at Sugar Island.it once was a special place. I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of. The last day of "Oldies Week" is today (at least for now), and the response from the Woody Boater community was fantastic. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The British also built a lighthouse in 1836 which operated until 1959. Its a wonderful feeling strolling the island, standing next to buildings where 10s of thousands of souls now long departed use to frequent. The north side of Boblo is a growing private community, with numerous homes and condominiums. The homes come with all appliances. Over the years it grew into a unique island amusement park, with a midway and dozens of rides. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. People from all over Michigan, Canada and from as far away as California, have chosen to make Boblo Island their home. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrews Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. [1], The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. Both doors are were chain locked. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. [15] Moodenbaugh had hired Liberal MPP Remo Mancini to help market the park. Heres an article that was in this past Sundays Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development Speaking of Sugar Island, have you heard, as of last year, theres now a public beach there? Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. With all the history on that island, I dont get it why it was left to die. What a wonderful goal, Andrew! Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). Bring a bike or plan to hike as the only streets to accommodate cars are in the development. Boblo Boats: A Detroit Fairy Tale Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale YouTube Channel Abandoned Boblo Island Amusement Park is a former amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. The island features many new homes and plenty of land to build on. My husband is from Plant life around the old Space Needle observation tower. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. Claire, seen in 2016. The rides were sold in 1994, but as we discovered via YouTube, a number of the park's structures still stand on the island. The ruins of what remains can be seen via the waterway that separates both Michigan and Ontario, but for many, the memories of this once-bustling park are what truly keep it alive. My twin daughters, now 35, remember, but my son, 28, will never know. I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. Anyone . To tell you the truth I remember the boat rides to the park more than the park itself. - Brandon, I am 73 years old and remember my parents taking me to Bob-Lo after picking me up at Willow Run Airport after a visit with relatives in Miami FL when I was 8 years old. Boblo Island Amusement Park had its own custom version of bumper cars, known as Boblos Scootaboats. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. 90-year old Captain Bob-Lo greets passengers - 1970s. [32], Boblo's Scootaboats, which were very similar to well known Bumper Cars, were a popular ride. - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. I know had I been related to this man, I would have kept his memory alive. 1937 Technically, it was known as Eastwood Amusement Park, but nearly everyone called it Eastwood Park, or just Eastwood. He was 20 years older than me. The last summer that Bob-Lo operated as an amusement park was almost two decades ago: 1993. There's a white sand beach, walking trails, water sports, a waterside restaurant, an ice cream parlor and an in-ground pool. It was great to see all the vintage photos and stories from the good old days of classic boating when wooden boats were the norm, not the exception. [25], American investors were scared away after the September 11 attacks, which hurt the financial outlook for the development. The park closed in 1996 after several personal injury lawsuits were filed against it. Big changes for Sugar Island, good changes-it has made the drinking & partying boating groups unable to overtake the island.It was not safe. We also traveled from past to the present on the island, which was a must-visit destination for families for decades. I agree, Jennifer, very sad. He's been with WDIV since 2013. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in a notable 1948 decision construing the scope of the commerce clause. . You can visit the island now, as I did in July of 2011 (all the photos accompanying the blog posting above were taken on that visit), by taking a small car ferry across a narrow strip of the Detroit River from the Bob-Lo Discovery Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. Though not all is lost. We dont save anything for history any more. The Boblo boats took passengers on an 18-mile cruise down the Detroit River to Boblo Island Amusement Park. [27] Dominic Amicone became the new owner in 2005. One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. But the partnership soon dissolved into a clash of wills that led to the collapse of the amusement park and a bitter lawsuit. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. Touch device users . They operated a Rotor in West Germany at Oktoberfest in 1949. An estimated 30,000 people passed through the island on their way to freedom. Bois Blanc Island, former site of the Bob-Lo Island amusement park, is located at southern endof the DetroitRiver before it enters Lake Erie,and is about one-half mile wide and three miles long. A new film tells us. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. Thank you again!! This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. [5] The boats were sold off as a result of a decision to shutter operations at the Detroit dock. The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. The Boblo boat took passengers on an 18-mile cruise down the Detroit river to Boblo Island Amusement Park. It was awesome place. Plus it was a place where the 400-pipe, 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed. . Along with homes, there are also property lots for sale in which people can build homes on. [29], The tower for the Space Needle ride was demolished in 2021, with Amicone citing "health and safety concerns". The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. It is slated to include a luxury hotel, international shops & restaurants, a 107-berth boat dock, and a pier large enough to accommodate lake cruise ships along with The S.S. . Embark on a CRUISE FROM DETROIT for the first time in decades, Stay the night at this ghostly-looking MICHIGAN CASTLE, SECRET VINTAGE COKE MUSEUM inside a Michigan 50's diner. Your email address will not be published. It runs every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at a fee of $10 each way. [32] The dance hall was the second largest in the world, holding 5,000 dancers at full capacity[31] and featured one of the world's largest orchestrions from the Welte company: a 16 foot tall, 14 foot wide, self-playing Wotan-model orchestrion with 419 pipes and percussion section. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. Only one blockhouse remains today. To get to Bob-Lo Island in the 21st century, you take a ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario, instead of from the old dock on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. The subdivision consists of a loop of a street containing a court within the loop. It was just announced in The Windsor Star that the dance pavilion is now for sale. By golf cart or bike or on foot are the only ways to navigate the crushed limestone trails that cover the remainder of the island,but for the residential area (the only place where cars are allowed). The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. Series: DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, 1972 - 1977, via National Archives and Records Administration, Photo: Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, A glass blower puts on a demonstration in the craftsmen's area - 1970s, A child takes a spin on a ride at Boblo Island - 1970s. If you are adventurous and don't mind a difficult climb, you can make a reservation (months in advance) and enter the crown. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . An island in Amherstburg, Ont. The swan paddle boat ride was added in 1970, which became a fan favorite. After the boats docked at night back in Detroit, Mr. Short continued entertaining at the local bars and taverns he frequented.[33]. My concern with respect to Bob-Lo Island is that what structures are left from the islands very interesting history are not being adequately protected. Boblo Island now boasts deluxe houses and condos, valued from $184,000 to $1.15 million, with walk-out basements and turreted views of the Detroit River. Your email address will not be published. Not one thing mentioned on the dance hall being 100 years old this year. [9] The loss of the Detroit ferry service dented attendance severely in the 1992 season, which along with poor weather caused the park to miss its attendance goal. I just would like to see whats there and for my family to share it with me. A retreat for the wealthy, amidst dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of the past, with nature ever encroaching. Well I would say as a resident (who by the way is not a mega millionaire), that we dont mind having company on the island and share it with those who want to come out. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River and was commonly referred to as Detroit's Coney Island. Id built up this image of perfectly cut green grass, flowers, water slides and party halls, but what I saw when I stepped onto the old white dock was far from the oasis I was told about. It is boarded up but . I know the kids and people of this generation are definitely looking forward to more developments. This is the view now from the end of the tunnel. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. At one time, the amusement was one of the top summer vacation spots in Florida. Between my concerns for the submerged rocks of the river and the mortar of history I was climbing over, I thought, what a wonderful place this island would be to explore if you were a kid or teenager and what a nightmare it poses for parents or grandparents of those explorers! The classic boats stopped running in 1991 and the amusement park was shuttered after the 1993 season. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. Here are some we found on various blogs and forums: I was one of the last generations of people who were able to enjoy Bob-Lo island amusement park. Very little remains, physically, of the amusement park attractions, but what we did find is fascinating, as you'll see in the link below. Would love to know more about your experience working on the Bob-Lo boats. [7] Though one expert felt that Boblo was too big to fail outright and could be turned around,[8] By June, however, no firm offers had been made for the park. When Ste. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. "That's probably because I have about twice as many rides as Boblo Island." The park has been closed since 1993 DETROIT - Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. I remember the log ride, where we''d all get wet but would soon dry out running about, the carousel, and of course the roller coaster. The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. BOBLO ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK entertained people from both Canada and USA for 96 YEARS ! So sad. How I recall the fun times of going to Bob-Lo, with my sisters and brother. [23] Townhouses and condominiums were proposed in 1997. [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. 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