This is the remnants of an old putt-putt golf course. The Carousel Building, built in 1905 to house the first amusement ride on Bob-Lo Island, served as a convention hall and later, the roller-skating rink (beginning with the 1940 season) before ending up as a theater. [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 grew up visiting the island and Im hoping to return to explore it again someday. Bleacher seating remains intact in the abandoned theater. It's located in Amherstburg, Ontario. The classic boats stopped running in 1991 and the amusement park was shuttered after the 1993 season. Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. It was a Canadian Island and had passenger boats that sailed from Detroit, Gibraltar and Amherstburg Ontario. The control room area through broken glass. People can dock their private boats there, or take a four-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario. The island was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad to Canada, which worked to help escaped slaves leave the country. Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale YouTube Channel The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. The bike rental shop was closed, but you can check your weight for free. I agree. Bois Blanc Island, Pointe Aux Pins, MI 49775 +1 231-634-7100 + Add website + Add hours. If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. The island is now a residential community. (LogOut/ The living space of the Deerview twin villas. 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. Ironically, after Canada abolished slavery in 1793, the island became a rest stop for escaped slaves traveling the Underground Railroad. The British also built a lighthouse in 1836 which operated until 1959. A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. Neither will my grandchildren. Claire, seen in 2016. [30], The Falling Star, log flume, Enterprise, Sky Tower (Space Needle), Ferris wheel, a zoo, and a carousel were the signature attractions. Boblo Boats Documentary Hitting Select Theatres in Detroit This Fall [VIDEO], Metallicas 72 Seasons Global Premiere Where You Can Watch in Michigan, Detroit Chef Named Chopped Champ Donates $10K Prize, Tri-County Ninja & Collectibles in Fenton Approved for Liquor License, Compete in Cedar Point Trivia from the Comfort of Your Michigan Home, Michigan Has Enforced the Death Penalty a Remarkably Low Number of Times, Celebrate 21 Years Of The Machine Shop In March, 13 Suggestions to Fill Flints Empty Sears in Genesee Valley Mall. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers. Nessel calls on DTE, Consumers to issue automatic power outage credits after storm. The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. As a child I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit Side of the island. I found this very useful for Information! Over the years, the crowds going to Bob-Lo on the boat would were increasingly loud and rude and some people avoided going to Bob-Lo to avoid the noise. Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. There appears to be no such organization, which may not be so surprising. These people had no clue whatsoever as to the history of Detroit, or of Bob-Lo. This amusement park, while once the delight of both kids and adults until the early 90s, has been abandoned for more than two decades. [20] Oram then leased and shut down the White Sands boater's hangout adjacent to the park site, citing trespassers but infuriating boaters; as a result, the lease was dropped within weeks. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Claire, built in 1910. 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. 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. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. Im glad you made this comment. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). Plants and overgrown grass fill the dirt paths near the Space Needle. About Boblo Island: Bring a bike or plan to hike as the only streets to accommodate cars are in the development. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Smudged by the past, we nevertheless feel a redemptive twinge in the final aerial shot as Dr. Kattoo hoists the flag over Claire's mended hull. As I have written to the owner of the company that bought the island: You have no idea how much Boblo Island Amusement Park was to our society. [1] The "Bob-Lo boats" boats were sold in November 1991. He enjoys suffering through Lions games on Sundays in the fall. Over the years it grew into a unique island amusement park, with a midway and dozens of rides. You can still see the words "Boblo Island" on the Space Needle, 25 years after the park's closing. 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 tennis court sits next to a home on the island. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. Not one thing mentioned on the dance hall being 100 years old this year. Remember, the island is in Canada, so you can't just cross over from the U.S. and dock there. In a sentence, I think, the world around POP changed. You'd be hard-pressed to find much evidence of those rides now. Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant Visiters to the marina can visit the small gallery of photographs and paintings of water scenes or rent bikes to explore the island (although what appeared to be the bike rental building was closed on this July Saturday, so perhaps not). Given that the island was known as the Boblo Island Amusement Park from 1898 1993, Id say, overall, it was a pretty successful run. The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on. Check out the tracker on the SE side of Boblo! The little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. These are some of the many doors leading to the inside of the old Dance Hall. 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. People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. Boblo's miniature railroad was perfect for those interested in something more leisurely than the island's rollercoaster. 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. By Edward Pevos of MLive - epevos@MLive.com. Locate and compare Service d'ambulance in Mersea ON, Yellow Pages Local Listings. One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Its maybe a five-minute ride, no more than 10 minutes with the docking. 6 reviews #1 of 2 Restaurants in Pointe Aux Pins American Pub. One of the more high-end homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. This is now the only ferry which goes to and from Boblo Island. 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. I agree with Maureen. I wouldnt identify the owners in this suburban retreat as millionaires, but the island has been many things to many people over the centuries: the Ojibwe, the Ottawa, the Potawatomi, and the Wyandot all used the island before it was christened Bois Blanc. Later it was: a camp for European explorers, the site of a French Catholic mission, within reach of a British fort, headquarters for the Shawnee chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812, an invasion site for Canadian patriots during the Upper Canada Rebellion, and more recently, a picnic spot and a dance venue, all before the rise and decline of the amusement park. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. During the Rebellion of 1837, "patriots" from the U.S. invaded the island in 1838. My husband is from Clair and the SS Columbia. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. And then came the Boblo Island Amusement Park with its famous Screamer, Nightmare, and Wild Mouse rides, its zoo, and carousel. Visiters to the marina can visit the small gallery of photographs and paintings of water scenes or rent bikes to explore the island (although what appeared to be the bike rental building was closed on this July Saturday, so perhaps not). OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Big changes for Sugar Island, good changes-it has made the drinking & partying boating groups unable to overtake the island.It was not safe. Officially, Bob-Lo Island is now billed as a Marina Resort Community, but Bob-Lo currently exhibits the most profound split personality of any islandperhaps any placeIve ever been. What remains of the boat after the fire is currently docked at Riverside Marina in Detroit. Although Boblo Island Beach House is pretty good. Technically speaking, the island was a part of Canada (Bois Blanc Island, Ontario to be exact) but was just a short ferry ride up the Detroit River from the city of Detroit. [4], IBC declared bankruptcy in 1991. For visitors based in Detroit, it was about 30 kilometers away and could be reached by ferry. Beginning in 1952, Joe Short, a man of diminutive physical stature, was employed as 'Captain Boblo', and traveled on the boats entertaining passengers of all ages. (LogOut/ Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you . There's a white sand beach, walking trails, water sports, a waterside restaurant, an ice cream parlor and an in-ground pool. Along with homes, there are also property lots for sale in which people can build homes on. The biggest surprise during my visit to Bob-Lo came from a different sort of stranger than the type Id been envisioning when I was watching the girls swim in the river. - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. 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. [18], In 1994, John Oram, an Iraqi immigrant to the United States who owned car stereo businesses, purchased the Boblo Island site. Scattered over the restof the island, there are still a number of structures left from other erasmidst overgrown grass, downed limbs from trees, and more than a few other surprises: At the south end of the island, two pieces of history, although damaged, still stand: In the portion of the island that was once the amusement parkBob-Lo as the babyboomers knew ita number of structures still stand: Unfortunately, despite a private-property-no-trespassing sign . I agree, Jennifer, very sad. Posted . [Meta] Sticky Comment. Peering through the broken glass, one can see water covering portions of the floor. Boblo Island is accessible by a 16-car ferry that departs from the dock next to the Bob-Lo Island Discovery Centre, which is at 340 Dalhousie St., Amherstburg, ON. navy officer oath of office form, this old house north shore farmhouse cost, how to make 3d shapes with toothpicks,
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