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. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. [25], American investors were scared away after the September 11 attacks, which hurt the financial outlook for the development. What a wonderful goal, Andrew! Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. 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). Why not this man who gave everyone joy in life with their families? For more excitement there was the Whip, Wild Mouse, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Dodgeem Cars. Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. The ferry is run for the island residents, their guests, and prospective buyers of lots in the Triamico Development Affiliates marina resort community. However, there is a public restaurant, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House, on the west side of the island by the marina (ferry docks at the east side). Well later that same summer (1972) I went with 2 of my brothers, one older and one younger with our Mother. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Hoffmeister and Friese had an agreement that established . We went alot and when my family''s jobs had company picnic it would always be Bob Lo. The Browning Family sold the island in 1979, which led to several owners in the following years, including IBC and AAA of Michigan. Plants and overgrown grass fill the dirt paths near the Space Needle. Can you go over to the island any time? . 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Some recent activity indicates this one might be saved. Boats are docked in the Boblo Island Marina, located on the western shore of the island. Boblo Island Amusement Park had its own custom version of bumper cars, known as Boblos Scootaboats. - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. Residents of the small community live among acres and acres of nature, just steps from water. Since 1989, Kevin has collected miniature amusement park rides, and built a loose replica of Boblo Island in his home. 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. After coming aboard, visitors could look down from the main deck into the engine room, where powerful shafts and cams slowly warmed up. That was in 1993. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. The east side of the island is now home to residential property, marinas, a restaurant and more. From 1984 to 1985 there were 26 head injuries and 14 broken bones reported. By Which may not be surprising, given that its been many thingscamp for European explorers, fortress, picnic spot, dance venue, amusement park, retreatto many people over the centuries beginning with four Algonquin and Iroquoian tribes:the Ojibwa (Chippewa), Ottawa, Potawatomi and the Wyandot (Huron)one source claims the original name of the island was Etiowiteedannenti, a name bestowed by the Wyandotand followed by: The first recorded passage to the island, which was named Bois Blanc (White Woods), by the French dates from 1670. This is the inside of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home. Part of the experience was the long boat ride to the island. After 1796, British interests controlled the island and it was the staging point for the first local action in the War of 1812. This is what the more than 100-year old steamer looked like a few years ago. The price is around $500k. 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. The little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. 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. 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 boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers I did notice, however, the last time we went the island had gone downhill quite a bit. 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. Which theme park has the most deaths? Four million tourists flock to Liberty Island in New York each year to see the architectural marvel, The Statue of Liberty. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. If it wasnt for him to have done that for everyone, our world would never have known how peaceful, relaxing, fun, and most of all memorable a park could be. Some of the most popular rides were "The Nightmare," "Sky Streak, "Screamer," and "Wild Mouse.". 2y Guy Adelini One of my favorite rides! Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. The tiny island is located in the middle of the East River, parallel to Manhattan's East 46th to 85th Streets. This is private property and the doors are chain locked. 525 55 shares Like Most relevant Ryan Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down? This is the view now from the end of the tunnel. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). 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). People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. 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. [17], In March 1994, the rides were dismantled and sold off piecemeal to the Pacific National Exhibition and a series of U.S. theme parks, a moment that confirmed the "worst fears" of Malden Township officials; the amusement park paid 25 percent of its taxes. These are the remains of some of the washrooms. It is so cool to see the old dock piers and the beach is sand. You can still see the words "Boblo Island" on the Space Needle, 25 years after the park's closing. - Sally. When Ste. It is completely grown over with weeds and trees. From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. 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. Why is it called Boblo Island? The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. He's been with WDIV since 2013. The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the "Bob-Lo Discovery Centre.". Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. 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. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. The best time was 8 hours and 42 minutes turned in by 17-year old Dorothy de Caussin and 15-year old Ida Mutnick, both of Detroit. The remnants of Boblo Island Amusement Park: - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. Boblo (or Bob-Lo) sparks memories for many adults who. The only access was via one of two ferries from Detroit or Amherstburg, the SS Ste. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. And I stood and looked across the river, and what I remember is no longer there, and Im 54 years old . [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. 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. . DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. Without Michael's approval the park was closed, the rides sold off, dismantled and shipped away. Not one thing mentioned on the dance hall being 100 years old this year. It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. The 1878 Mangels-Illions Carousels 44 horses, two goats, and two deer were sold for more than $1 million. Once the island closed, the boats sat abandoned for years. The ferry is a short four minute ride to the island. After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. 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. We also traveled. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. Feb 11, 2022 - One of my favorite memories as a child. With a blast of the big steam whistle, lines were cast off, and the 20-mile voyage began, taking about 80 minutes. 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.. 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. What did you do? 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. The island was situated between Detroit and Canada, but for a Michigander to visit, you had to cross the Canadian border.usually by one of the Boblo ferry boats. Rides, music, thrills, and lights attracted thousands of visitors year after year. Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. One step on the old dock, and I saw an old run-down white platform, no life, no care in worldlike everyone was evacuated and told not to come back. [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. 272 acres. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. [1] Other smaller ferries served the park from Amherstburg and Gibraltar, Michigan, which were located closer to the park on the Detroit River. Pinterest. Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park. Your email address will not be published. Hard to believe it was an big destination, it seems too small to support an amusement park. [15] Moodenbaugh had hired Liberal MPP Remo Mancini to help market the park. One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Look at Sugar Island.it once was a special place. She was one of the first residents of Boblo Island. The rides were sold in 1994, but as we discovered via YouTube, a number of the park's structures still stand on the island. Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. 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 Boblo Island amusement park closed in the 1990s after a century of operation. Along with homes, there are also property lots for sale in which people can build homes on. 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. 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. On the south side of the road leading from the ferry dock is a five-story condominium: Between the river and the condominium is a trail which heads south along the islands perimeter and allows a walker orbicyclist to view a number of historical structures, including the Sailors Monument, which still graces the eastern shore of the island: The commemorative plaque affixed to the Sailors Monument reads: Dedicated to 134 years of American-Canadian friendship across 4500 miles of unfortified border, protected only by the mutual respect and understanding one nation holds for the other. when was the last day of this park operated (i mean the last summur )when it was open for public for the last and until what day was the ferry or the steamer making trip, and can you visit it now. How to get to Boblo Island: There appears to be no such organization, which may not be so surprising. Today it is overgrown: The Powerhouse, which looks like small limestone chapel, that provided electricityto the Carousel: The Dance Pavilion a 35,000 feet steel and limestone building designed by Albert Kahn and John Scott and completed in 1913. 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 miniature railroad was built around the island in the 60s, along with a upgraded dock area. 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. [29], The tower for the Space Needle ride was demolished in 2021, with Amicone citing "health and safety concerns". Departing from the foot of Woodward Avenue, whereHart Plazais now, theColumbiaandSte. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide - just 272 acres. The park's coasters and rides were sold following its closing in 1993, but there are intriguing remnants. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. By 1910 the first amusement park rides, the carousel, ponies and a dancing pavillion were available. Boblo Island was an amusement park that was open for nearly 100 years. The people of Detroit, Michigan characterized it as that city's Coney Island. The 375-foot Sky Tower, rusting and visible from the Powerhouse and most of the island, as well as from other locations on the river like Grosse Ile: And a few other buildings, like the open one that may have housed the dodgem cars built in 1928, and another with more shattered windows, the Souvenir building. His legacy died when the company came in and took over the park. You know what I think, I have never been over there. The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. . [19] He vaguely proposed a casino, hotel, and other development. 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. [27] Dominic Amicone became the new owner in 2005. The park has been closed since 1993, but the legend of Boblo is still strong. A woman leans against the fence in the foreground to take a picture of the ride. A tennis court sits next to a home on the island. The living space of the Deerview twin villas. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. What's with those GIANT PIE PANS in Traverse City & Charlevoix? By 1920 the famous amusement ride, the Whip was installed on the island and the first season alone paid for the maintenance and the purchase of the ride. The amusement park was so famous in its day that Henry Ford himself provided money for a Dance Hall to be built, designed by the architect John Scott. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! Loved going to Bob-Lo as a kid. 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. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. Clair and the SS Columbia. We are restoring one of Detroit's most iconic steamships, the Ste. 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. It was like a little cruise. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. Boblo Island Amusement Park ran from 1898 to 1993. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. The amusement was a given. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. Obscured in a small wooded area between the Dance Pavilion and the Terminal are the remains of the minature golf course: Consider this: I did not see another person during my entire afternoon exploration of the historic sites on the island, except for three young teenage girls I observed leaving the Resorts community pool and making their way down to the river alone, to the channel between Bob-Lo and Amherstburg, where, nestled next to the Terminal, is a very small sand beach where they swam. All rights reserved (About Us). A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. 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 island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. I, too, went there every year as a child from Detroit. The 24-year-old Black woman boarded the SS Columbia en route for Boblo Island a Canadian amusement park beloved by Detroiters. The north side of Boblo is a growing private community, with numerous homes and condominiums. Few physical reminders remain from the amusement park, which closed in 1993, but the island has had a surprising resurgence - as a quiet but thriving residential community. . The classic boats stopped running in 1991 and the amusement park was shuttered after the 1993 season. The sociology of unemployment - Tom Boland 2015-07-01 The sociology of unemployment is an analysis of the experience and governance of unemployment. These are some of the many doors leading to the inside of the old Dance Hall. Boblo Island was very special. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. The island is owned nearly in its entirety by Windsor developer Dominic Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island development company. 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