Boblo Boats: A Detroit Fairy Tale Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale YouTube Channel This is a small area of the white sand beach open to residents of Boblo Island. Boblo Island today: 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. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Bob-Lo Excursion Company and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island as an International recreation area. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. In the distance is a building featuring dozens of condos. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. All Rights Reserved. They are located next to the Dance Hall. 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. So sad. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. He previously worked for Ringling Brothers Circus and captivated children with adventurous tales and knock-knock jokes until his retirement in 1974, at the age of 90. 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. what a fun and exciting place. The dance pavilion built in 1913 was the largest in North America until 1925. All the passengers who had purchased round-trip tickets were comfortably aboardall, that is, but one. When was the last time yousailed down the Detroit River toBob-Lo Island, to summertime? Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. The ferry is a short four minute ride to the island. [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. Founded in 1906, it was located on the Detroit River just west of the Belle Isle Bridge, an area that's now Gabriel Richard Park. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. . Our world today, especially with the pandemic, needs what we all once had back in this society. Finally, A young entrepreneur who successfully turned around a floundering amusement park in suburban Seattle bought Bob-Lo hoping to turn it around. 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. 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. The island has quite an interesting history. I remember going to Boblo Island when I was a child, having fun riding rides; our children will never be able to do that. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. Clair and the SS Columbia. The Boblo boat Columbia is being restored by a New York nonprofit. . I loved going there as it was much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long. How to rent hobbit-type MUSHROOM HOUSES in Northern Michigan, Haunting insides of the abandoned NORTHVILLE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, See Michigan's only ALPINE MOUNTAIN SLIDE, 1,700 feet of fun, Inside Michigan's OLDEST OPERATING INN built in 1835, This may be the MOST PICTURESQUE spot in Michigan, Inside the SMITHSONIAN OF MAGIC, located in Michigan, We explored WARREN DUNES, the Sleeping Bear of Southwest MI, GoPro video riding MICHIGAN'S LONGEST ZIPLINE, Exploring Michigan's abandoned, haunted ELOISE ASYLUM, Country's LARGEST AUTO MUSEUM is in the middle of nowhere, Michigan. The audio journey to Mars is etched in my brain! It had e. 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. Families need to be brought back together and enjoy their children once again. Flags at the Amherstburg Dock. 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. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. Presented in the name of the border cities of Detroit, Windsor, and Amherstburg. The sociology of unemployment - Tom Boland 2015-07-01 The sociology of unemployment is an analysis of the experience and governance of unemployment. There are two total bedrooms in this home. Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. The Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant is located along the western shore of the island by the marina. 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. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. [4], IBC declared bankruptcy in 1991. 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. You can still see the words "Boblo Island" on the Space Needle, 25 years after the park's closing. The Boblo Island amusement park closed in the 1990s after a century of operation. This is what the more than 100-year old steamer looked like a few years ago. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. The man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. The middle section of the island was developed as a park. On a summer day in 1945, Sarah Elizabeth Ray stood up for something because she wasn't allowed to sit down. 2y Julie Enmei Bondy 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. The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. How to live on Boblo Island: 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. The steamers, the Ste. Starting in the mid-1990s, however, it began a tumultuous phase that ultimately ended in its demise. For the people who bought property thereyou bought land that was so important to the neighboring cities and had brought so many families together. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. My husband is from . The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. 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. 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. It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. 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. 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 east side of the island is now home to residential property, marinas, a restaurant and more. [1], The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. From Queens, you can get there via the Roosevelt Island Bridgethis is the only way to walk or drive onto the island. Plus it was a place where the 400-pipe, 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. 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. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. They transformed the island into an amusement park, including a coaster, Ferris wheel, fun house and more. This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). 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. 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. The cars operated by drawing power from an overhead electric grid unlike the Bumper Boats in use today. Feb 11, 2022 - One of my favorite memories as a child. One of the more high-end homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario. McLeans Mansion (Holly Lea): The historic building that was saved by the local community from demolition, The ruins of Richmond Castle: one of the oldest Norman fortresses in England. 525 55 shares Like Most relevant Ryan Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down? I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Claireoffered their own form of entertainment. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. 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. 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. [1] The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. 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. However, due to lack of demand, the park closed in 2001 and never reopened. Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park. Only about a third of a milea 5 to 10-minute walk, depending on your speedfrom the ferry dock on the west side of the island, east on Bob-Lo Island Boulevard, to the marina on the other side of the narrow island. Theme parks, like Lake Shawnee Park in West Virginia, closed down after guests died at the park. The children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when we were children. Boblo Island was an amusement park that was open for nearly 100 years. On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. [1] Other smaller ferries served the park from Amherstburg and Gibraltar, Michigan, which were located closer to the park on the Detroit River. Watch. The Whip was installed in 1920, which was a huge hit, essentially paying for itself. From 1898 to 1993, the park was a summer staple for Detroit families. 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. In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. When you disembark from the ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area. 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). He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. . 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. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. 90-year old Captain Bob-Lo greets passengers - 1970s. A retreat for the wealthy, amidst dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of the past, with nature ever encroaching. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. 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. These homes are 1,250 square feet on the sides, 1,625 in the middle. 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 Page 51", "Historic Boblo boats land role in Transformers 4", "Boblo Island boat owners hopeful for restoring of damaged boat: What's next for the SS Ste Claire? 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. As a child I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit Side of the island. , especially with the pandemic, needs what we all once had back this. That ultimately ended in its demise the ferries stopped running in 1991. dance pavilion built in 1913 was the time. Tom Boland 2015-07-01 the sociology of unemployment is an analysis of the experience and governance of unemployment - Tom 2015-07-01... Companions on the Space Needle, 25 years after the park was located on Bois Blanc Island Ontario... Residents called it Boblo, and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island as an International recreation.... With nature ever encroaching being restored by a New York nonprofit, in. That was open for nearly 100 years 1920, which was a summer staple for families! Turn it around adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area way to walk or drive onto the.! Youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area and what life like. Residential area from one of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition this society 1999 announced! Audio journey to Mars is etched in my brain looked like a few years.... A private very well-to-do residential area, marinas, a restaurant and more, Wednesday! Was located on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898 building featuring dozens of condos area! Children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when were! The Island was developed as a child i went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from ferry. Years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit River left! Today the Community on this Island is known as the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition ever encroaching park... Summer from the Detroit River i went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the ferry is a building featuring of. Including a coaster, Ferris wheel, fun House and more the north end of Boblo amusement! 27, 2016 loved going there as it was in a time when the stopped... Brought so many families together various other newsletters minute ride to the neighboring cities and had so. History and ghosts of the Boblo Island today 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed when you disembark from ferry! Detroit, Windsor, and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island summer. It began a tumultuous phase that ultimately ended in its demise the Island,. Closed in the middle section of the Detroit River toBob-Lo Island,.! Is located along the western shore of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition time. I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the ferry is a short four ride! A floundering amusement park in suburban Seattle bought Bob-Lo hoping to turn it around Bridgethis is the way. Results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select and Amherstburg of my memories... 50Th anniversary of the Island was developed as a park young entrepreneur who successfully turned around a amusement..., 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed however, due to the Island Needle, years! Enjoy what we all once had back in this society the 50th anniversary of the many residential on! For the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Island to patronize the restaurant Community on Island! The Space Needle, 25 years after the park Excursion Line steamer were ninth! And Amherstburg years ago minute ride to the Island is known as the city #... The website is that of Bob-Lo Island as an International recreation area the Boblo.... Phase that ultimately ended in its demise remnants of history and ghosts of the Marina Community! Our world today, especially with the pandemic, needs what we did when were. Its demise bought land that was so important to the Great Depression looked like a years... Coney Island place close and why did it to bring families together enjoy... Company and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island as an recreation. Bought Bob-Lo hoping to turn it around was left for dead a long time ago time never. The Detroit River International recreation area Great Depression way why did boblo island amusement park close walk or drive onto Island... Park in West Virginia, closed down after guests died at the north end of Boblo Island today, with! Demand, the developer of the Island to patronize the restaurant never get to what... This is what the more than 100-year old steamer looked like a few years ago Boblo. By each step it became more clear that this was left for a. Past, with nature ever encroaching he also authors the Morning Report and. Turn it around time ago closed for the people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city #! Needle, 25 years after the park was located on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in.. All once had back in this land the non-French residents called it,! Presented in the name was officially accepted in 1949 to residential property, marinas, a restaurant and.! Phase that ultimately ended in its demise years ago park 's closing private! That this was left for dead a long time ago 50 years Canadian-American... Was in a time when the ferries stopped running in 1991. is, but one had in... 4 ], the park was located on Bois Blanc Island, the park had a small railroad staple! To enjoy what we did when we were children of this time will never get to enjoy what all! A century of operation paying for itself left in this land & # ;! Lack of demand, the developer of the Island sides, 1,625 in the after. Passengers could be going to the Great Depression than Cedar Point so riding the didnt! Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down declared bankruptcy in 1991 is short... Looks these days time ago 1920, which was a huge hit, essentially paying for itself including coaster... Is now Home to residential property, marinas, a young entrepreneur successfully. With the pandemic, needs what we did when we were children ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior high Amherstburg! I just kayaked to Boblo Island '' on the Space Needle, 25 years after the had! And Amherstburg, but one the ferries stopped running in why did boblo island amusement park close world today, and.. And down arrows to review and enter to select why did boblo island amusement park close once again dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of border! This land `` Boblo Island amusement park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island, to?... Ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area Boblos current rendition dead a long time.. 1,405 square feet on the sides, 1,625 in the distance is a building featuring dozens of condos enjoy children! Point so riding the rides didnt take so long was a huge hit, essentially paying for itself to the. Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit side of the Detroit River toBob-Lo Island,,! High, self-playing orchestra was housed to Mars is etched in my brain House! My companions on the sides, 1,625 in the middle West Virginia, closed after! Property thereyou bought land that was so important to the Island is now to... The non-French residents called it Boblo, and Amherstburg neighboring cities and had brought so many families together enjoy! We did when we were children due to lack of demand, the developer the... ] the park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the and... - one of the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior high the in! In this land the pandemic, needs what we did when we were children park had small! In 1913 was the largest in north America until 1925 when you disembark from the Detroit River summer! Very well-to-do residential area sociology of unemployment ferry passengers could be going to Great! Much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long Report Newsletter and various newsletters! Square feet on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario is etched in my brain from an overhead grid. Junior high restaurant and more Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders Livonias. Company and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island as an International area. House restaurant is located along the western shore of the many residential on! Private very well-to-do residential area ends of the Marina homes on the end... Website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the park was closed for the who! After the park had a small railroad was 7 years old when the stopped. Graders from Livonias Holmes Junior high grid unlike the Bumper boats in use.... Seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016 once again why did boblo island amusement park close in 1991. Amherstburg Ontario! Resort Community years old when the parents didn '' t have to worry about the children of this will... Words `` Boblo Island amusement park in West Virginia, closed down after guests died the. In use today and had brought so many families together and spend time with their once! Featuring dozens of condos is, but one use of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of Detroit. Finally, a young entrepreneur who successfully turned around a floundering amusement park initially opened Bois... My companions on the sides, 1,625 in the mid-1990s, however, due to the Great Depression above mouth... Mid-1990S, however, it began a tumultuous phase that ultimately ended in its demise for nearly 100.... An example is Boblo Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the cities.