They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. 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. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. What's with those GIANT PIE PANS in Traverse City & Charlevoix? It was one of the most popular places to dance in the 1920s. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. the building is not secure, given that one-quarter of a large window in the front is broken in, metal strips hanging from its frame. It is a wonderful place with beautiful heritage and history, that is why I chose to live here. The audio journey to Mars is etched in my brain! Unfortunately, my search came up empty. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. By 1998, Premier Parks purchased Six Flags and adopted the Six Flags name for its company and a year later, it changed Geauga Lake's name to Six Flags Ohio in 1999. The plan is to restore it and have it run in the Hudson River Valley. But, when I get enough money, I am going to restore it to the original and open it back up. I found this very useful for Information! Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. Which theme park has the most deaths? From 1898 to 1993, the park was a summer staple for Detroit families. 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. 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. Plus it was a place where the 400-pipe, 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed. 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. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. Part of the old water fountain is still there and you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. We live on the east shore of Grosse Ile, we would love to take our boat to eat at the restaurant. What I remember about Bob-Lo Island specifically, the entrance coming off of the boat, one of the last times I went the Simpsons were the mascots and I met Bart and Homer. Hundreds of small amusement parks went out in 1980s as families all went to super amusement parks like Cedar Point and Six Flags and did not visit small ones often. Boblo (or Bob-Lo) sparks memories for many adults who spent summers riding the ferry to Boblo Island, visiting its amusement park or just enjoying a picnic. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. The men's entrance is to the left. 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. Claire, former Boblo Boat", Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bois_Blanc_Island_(Ontario)&oldid=1136092735, All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 18:24. It's docked in New York. http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/ (Sorry, you may need to copy and paste the website addresses above; my link feature is not successfully linking at the moment. The existence of such an organization would certainly be complicated by the facts that 1) Bob-Lo is a Canadian island with an overbearing American past, and 2) today Bob-Lo primarily serves asa retreat for the wealthy, who I can imagine would not want people coming to visit the historical remains there,any more than they would want hunters (although if theyown a cat or a small dog, the latter might be welcome if they could take care of the coyote population). Each boat could hold about 2,500 passengers. You will find even more information in: Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, by Patrick Livingstone (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2008); Bob-Lo: An Island in Troubled Waters, by Annessa Carlisle (Royal Oak, MI: Momentum Books, 2005); and for more photographs, Bob-Lo Revisited, by Bill Rauhausuer (Chicago: Lorentz, 2003). Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. [32], Boblo's Scootaboats, which were very similar to well known Bumper Cars, were a popular ride. For the people who bought property thereyou bought land that was so important to the neighboring cities and had brought so many families together. It's just a stone's throw from historic Amherstburg, Ontario, which is a 30-minute drive from Windsor. One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. The 1991, the boats ceased their 81-year run, and the park closed in 1993. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. [27] Dominic Amicone became the new owner in 2005. Hoffmeister and Friese had an agreement that established . http://boblo.ca/. 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. By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. Its sad that my kids will never be able to go there and ride the same rides I did as a kid. Millions of Americans and Canadians share memories of riding the Swan Boats or the train that circled the park. I, too, went there every year as a child from Detroit. You can take a tour of the model homes on Boblo Island on Saturdays and Sundays with an island specialist by calling 519-736-1111. Colorful adirondack chairs surround a campfire pit near Captain Bob's. To add . Pinterest. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. How to get to toronto island park? This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. In 1991, the two Boblo boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, MI., to the island, as well as to and from Amherstburg, Ontario. These steamers could carry more than 2,000 passengers from Detroit to the island. By Edward Pevos of MLive - epevos@MLive.com. Part of the experience was the long boat ride to the island. - Sally. A private community is now being built on the island. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The island is owned nearly in its entirety by Windsor developer Dominic Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island development company. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. The 1878 Mangels-Illions Carousels 44 horses, two goats, and two deer were sold for more than $1 million. Why not this man who gave everyone joy in life with their families? One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. For more than 85 years, the Boblo Island Amusement Park was famous for being served by the Steamer Ste Claire and the Steamer Columbia excursion boats that could hold about 2,500 passengers each. Why did Boblo Island shut down? Before July 30, 2011, my last visit to Bob-Lo had been in June of 1968. Feb 11, 2022 - One of my favorite memories as a child. Suddenly, without any warning, there was a relatively large mammal in the middle of the trail, directly in the line of my front bike tire. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. Colorful picnic tables near Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin. An estimated 30,000 people passed through the island on their way to freedom. Anyone can go on the island via the ferry for a fee of $10 round-trip, but Boblo isn't a typical tourist destination. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. More than a century later, in the 1920s, the amusement park opened on the sitethen closed in 1966 after the accidental deaths of two young patrons, including one on the spooky circular swing. Boblo Island Amusement Park was an amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The sociology of unemployment - Tom Boland 2015-07-01 The sociology of unemployment is an analysis of the experience and governance of unemployment. I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. . Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. The park closed in 1996 after several personal injury lawsuits were filed against it. The ferry runs 365 days a year, departing every 20 minutes. The Columbia is undergoing restoration. It may be under different management than when I had a pretty tasty perch sandwich there, but you can find out more, including their hours at: http://www.boblo.ca/pages/living/restaurant.html, Thank you very much for info. The company had just been sold to a group from Texas who ran a small park. I agree with Maureen. [1] Other smaller ferries served the park from Amherstburg and Gibraltar, Michigan, which were located closer to the park on the Detroit River. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans owns the deteriorating dock, which once served as a gateway for ferry passengers heading to the former Boblo Island amusement park. The park sat just above the mouth of the Detroit River, but was actually on the Canadian side on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. One to pick up, and one to return people. This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . 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. This is the remnants of an old putt-putt golf course. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. Watch. 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. Particularly down at White Sands beach below the Lighthouse (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33535417@N05/4112593095/), where two boats were anchored during my visit to the south end of the island with a large group of partying young people. "I have all the amenities of city life that I need within walking distance in Amherstburg, and all the amazing amenities the island life brings me.". "[2] The Michigan Supreme Court fined the company $25 for the discrimination they presented towards Ray. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. A powerhouse that supplied electricity to the nearby Carousel which is no longer there. You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. The island was home to a popular amusement park starting in the late 1890s. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. All rights reserved (About Us). Only a few buildings and the sky tower structure still stand. All Rights Reserved. On June 21, 1945, the steamer Columbia blew its whistle and left the Detroit dock to make the eighteen-mile trip to the Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park. Plants and overgrown grass fill the dirt paths near the Space Needle. It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. You can also see the large stage and the curtain with big holes in it. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. This is actually only about half of the full-size basement which has been fitted with windows and electricity for add-on bedrooms. Is it an easy walk to the restaurant on the west side from the ferry dock? (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). On that visit, the very air between the Wild Mouse and the Whip was fraught with hormones dancing to a Top Ten soundtrack which included Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and Grazing in the Grass.. Not fair to blame millionaires when often it is a corporation that can run out money after 5 or 6 bad years. The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. 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! In its early years, [1] Henry Ford financed a dance hall that was rumored to have been designed and built by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn,[31] but was later determined to have been designed by John Scott. Opened in Orlando in 1976, River Country was Walt Disney's first waterpark. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! The park's coasters and rides were sold following its closing in 1993, but there are intriguing remnants. [15] Moodenbaugh had hired Liberal MPP Remo Mancini to help market the park. Today, We take a look at the history and destiny of an iconic Detroit Metro Area former amusement park; Bob-Lo Island. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. - LJ. Yes, I list http://www.boblo.ca as a source where one can get more information in my book Great Lakes Island Escapes: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2016). Having trotted out into the intersection, clearly not expecting anyone to be on the trail, the animal froze and then turned and shot back up the path, between thetall vegetation on each side, its hind legs trying to gain purchase on the crushed limestone. He was 20 years older than me. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It was finally decided in 1949 to officially re-name the island and the park Bob-Lo, in a matter of simplification (today it is still referred to by both names on maps of the area). When you disembark from the ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area. Places like fort custer, MI and fort sheridan, illinois, all sold to profiteers. 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. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. Though not all is lost. Claire or the Columbia, but no cellphone cameras documented that embarkation and carrying a Kodak Instamatic simply would not have been cool. Not only do those who went before the park shut down in 1993 still remember it fondly; they're eager to regale you . Even the words scrawled across its portal announced simply "Eastwood Park.". As a child I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit Side of the island. 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 control room area through broken glass. Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. Your email address will not be published. The remnants of Boblo Island Amusement Park: There is a dock at the restaurant on the island, Sue. This house is 2,040 square feet with a full basement. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. Required fields are marked *. BOBLO ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK entertained people from both Canada and USA for 96 YEARS ! Ray was removed from the boat because she was not white, enforced according to a Bob-Lo company policy "excluding so-called 'zoot-suiters', the rowdyish, the rough, and the boisterous, and it also adopted the policy of excluding colored. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. As one can use motor vehicles only in the northern residential tip of the island, if you plan to explore the island, you may want to bring a bike with you. A woman leans against the fence in the foreground to take a picture of the ride. This is the view now from the end of the tunnel. One of the oldest structures on the island was vandalized in 1954, with vandals setting fire to the top of the 1837 lighthouse, destroying the upper structure. Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin is located on the western shore of Boblo Island, and is open for residents and visitors from Thursday through Sunday. Remember it was a time when girls wore dresses and not pants, so we sure had to be careful on the rides (check out the pictures how the girls were dressed). The last summer that Bob-Lo operated as an amusement park was almost two decades ago: 1993. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. The Beach House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and home decor for residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. 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. The boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. The middle section of the island was developed as a park. I worked on the Boats in 1980. In fact didn''t go as much as I would of liked to. Just read one of the many postcards you can find online from people back in the day. And I stood and looked across the river, and what I remember is no longer there, and Im 54 years old . 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