The Whip was installed in 1920, which was a huge hit, essentially paying for itself. Bois Blanc Island (Ontario) Who owns Boblo Island? See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. Abandoned Boblo Island Amusement Park is a former amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. - LJ. From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. 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. Every home on the island is just steps away from the water. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society. Poison ivy now grows in the ring of mature trees in front of the Lavatory building, where I imagine the men in hatsretiring for a smoke while they await their dates inflapper attireto emerge from The Ladies Room.. It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. I agree. One to pick up, and one to return people. Though not all is lost. It is boarded up but . A private community is now being built on the island. Opened in Orlando in 1976, River Country was Walt Disney's first waterpark. It is completely grown over with weeds and trees. 1937 Technically, it was known as Eastwood Amusement Park, but nearly everyone called it Eastwood Park, or just Eastwood. If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. Just read one of the many postcards you can find online from people back in the day. The goal of developers is to someday populate the entire island with neighborhoods. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. The control room area through broken glass. They are located next to the Dance Hall. The initial attractions of the island were . DETROITAny Michigander of a certain vintage won't forget their giddiness en route to Boblo Island amusement park, a carefree ferry ride from Detroit's metropolis to a land that seemed a world away. This is actually only about half of the full-size basement which has been fitted with windows and electricity for add-on bedrooms. BOBLO runs Nov. 22 to Dec. 2 at the Great Hall Black Box Theatre (former venue of the Theatre Centre), 1087 Queen St. W. For tickets ($20-$25), visit theatrecentre.org or call 416-538-0988. These gleeful youngsters certainly seem amused on a ride at Eastwood, at the northeast corner of Eight Mile Road and . 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. Kathi. In 1949, bankruptcy threatened the island park. The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. My husband is from 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. . 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. Rides, music, thrills, and lights attracted thousands of visitors year after year. This is a small area of the white sand beach open to residents of Boblo Island. You do it for other people. 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. . If all this talk of Edgewater Park has sent you into a nostalgic funk, never fear: the video below, posted A woman leans against the fence in the foreground to take a picture of the ride. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. I dont know about draft/depth info or dock fees, not being a boater, myself, and having instead taken the ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario. After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. The men's entrance is to the left. 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. . 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. It was the site of a conflict in 1838 during the Upper Canadian Rebellion, where 50 attackers were locked in one of the three blockhouses that had been built on the island. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The scion of one of Seattle's wealthiest and most philanthropic families, Benaroya was bankrolling Moodenbaugh's dream to resurrect the Boblo Island Amusement Park near Detroit. It was set on Ontario's picturesque Bois Blanc Island (frequently known as "Boblo Island") and featured everything you could want in a theme park. - Kathy G. We kids were able to run up and down the stairs on the boat and go to the dance floor. These are the remains of some of the washrooms. The British also built a lighthouse in 1836 which operated until 1959. 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. A powerhouse that supplied electricity to the nearby Carousel which is no longer there. Only one blockhouse remains today. 2y Guy Adelini One of my favorite rides! 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). In 1958 the island was the site of joint Canadian-American war games, addressing a hostile force presence with amphibious units from around the Great Lakes. 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. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. . Without Michael's approval the park was closed, the rides sold off, dismantled and shipped away. By Edward Pevos of MLive - epevos@MLive.com. "It's not the exact layout of Boblo Island," Kevin says in the documentary. [1] Screamer, a double corkscrew; Nightmare, an indoor all-dark ride; and Sky Streak, a steel out-and-back design, were its three roller coasters. The rides were sold in 1994, but as we discovered via YouTube, a number of the park's structures still stand on the island. [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. - Bonnie, Oh! In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. (From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina), BOBLO BOAT TOUR: Take a video tour of the historic boat that traveled the Detroit River for 81 years. The abandoned amusement park was a p. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. It was awesome place. Before I rode on it on the Island I had gone to a local fair and 3 other girls and I rode together on it and we laughed and really enjoyed it. Claire, built in 1910. It is so cool to see the old dock piers and the beach is sand. Both vessels are bound for Boblo Island. - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. The kitchen and dining space of the tri-plex. The 18-mile boat ride was carried out by the famous ships: the Columbia, built in 1902, and the Ste. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. You can still see the words "Boblo Island" on the Space Needle, 25 years after the park's closing. After 85 years of operation, these two sister steamships - the oldest in America - awaken from a deep slumber to find a devoted team of enthusiasts have set out to rescue them from their deteriorating state. As a child I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit Side of the island. I did notice, however, the last time we went the island had gone downhill quite a bit. Gloomy days sometimes deserve black and white treatment. The park's coasters and rides were sold following its closing in 1993, but there are intriguing remnants. BOBLO ISLAND - The echoes from the screams of delight have long faded from Boblo Island Amusement Park, the Cedar Point of Michigan for most kids growing up in our region. Parts of that tower still stand. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in a notable 1948 decision construing the scope of the commerce clause. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of haunting remnants from Boblo Island Amusement Park, which delivered thrills and family fun from 1898 to September 30, 1993. The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on . - 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. Other islands Ivevisited have their own historical societies or have joined with other nearby islands to form a historical society: Johnson Island Preservation Society, Lake Erie Islands Historical Society, St. Clair Flats Historical Society, Beaver Island Historical Society, the Grosse Ile Historical Society, and Friends of Bell Isle (now a part ofthe newBelle Isle Conservancy). Boblo Island today: The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. [2] People quit coming in the 1980s, then the money for upkeep is not there. Over the years, the park began to decline and wane in popularity. [24] The island was off limits to non-residents until 2002. 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. This is now the only ferry which goes to and from Boblo Island. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. About Boblo Island: For more excitement there was the Whip, Wild Mouse, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Dodgeem Cars. I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. The Boblo Island boat, S.S. Ste Claire, was destroyed on Friday morning after a massive fire on the ship. The Bobl-Lo Island of today? "That's probably because I have about twice as many rides as Boblo Island." Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. Families need to be brought back together and enjoy their children once again. what a fun and exciting place. The park opened in 1898 and closed its doors for good on September 30th,1993 as a result of poor management, rising maintenance costs and declining attendance thanks to more attractive parks in the region like Cedar Point. On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. 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. This was particularly true during the Great Depression and the World War II era, when finances were tight and the world seemed to exist in a perpetual state of anxiety. The last summer that Bob-Lo operated as an amusement park was almost two decades ago: 1993. It was one of the most popular places to dance in the 1920s. The little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. Is it an easy walk to the restaurant on the west side from the ferry dock? These luxury dwellings were erected. Everyone has a memory to tell. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. Bois Blanc Island, commonly called Boblo Island, is an island in the Detroit River on the Canadian side of the border and is part of Amherstburg Skip to content Menu 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. The island was home to a popular amusement park starting in the late 1890s. But the partnership soon dissolved into a clash of wills that led to the collapse of the amusement park and a bitter lawsuit. Its sad that my kids will never be able to go there and ride the same rides I did as a kid. Although there was a bike rental business near the marina and Beach House Restaurant on the west side of the island (the ferry dock is on the east side of the island), it was not open for business on the beautiful summer weekend day I was there, so I wouldnt count on being able to rent a bike on the island. One of the more high-end homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario. 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. Bleacher seating remains intact in the abandoned theater. 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