Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. 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 last day of "Oldies Week" is today (at least for now), and the response from the Woody Boater community was fantastic. The restaurant just opened for the season on the 24th, this past Friday. What remains of the boat after the fire is currently docked at Riverside Marina in Detroit. 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.. Bois Blanc Island (Ontario) Who owns Boblo Island? The ferry is a short four minute ride to the island. Its sad that my kids will never be able to go there and ride the same rides I did as a kid. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. The island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. I loved going there as it was much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long. - Sally. It was like a little cruise. Claire, built in 1910. We are restoring one of Detroit's most iconic steamships, the Ste. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this site. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. Electric Park was the dream-come-true of Arthur C. Gaukler, a. There's a white sand beach, walking trails, water sports, a waterside restaurant, an ice cream parlor and an in-ground pool. In the distance is a building featuring dozens of condos. The price is a little over $300k. 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. what a fun and exciting place. [1], The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. So when we went to the Island, we took a cab to the downtown docks to catch the first boat out and then we would return on the last boat. 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. [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. You know what I think, I have never been over there. Though many of the amusement park structures have been torn down, you might still hear a passing. Claire and the SS Columbia offered ferry services to all those wishing to travel to Boblo Island. Both doors are were chain locked. - Bonnie, Oh! 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. The abandoned amusement park was a p. These are the remains of some of the washrooms. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. It's a place for those looking to surround themselves with nature, including the more than 50 different species of birds. A retreat for the wealthy, amidst dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of the past, with nature ever encroaching. These luxury dwellings were erected. 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 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. The control room area through broken glass. Such a sad and difficult ending to such a WONDERFUL PLACE. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. Boblo Boats: A Detroit Fairy Tale Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale YouTube Channel It was awesome place. Flags at the Amherstburg Dock. Its very sad because growing up that was all everyone talked about was Boblo Island, and all the amazing memories. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. The Boblo boat Columbia is being restored by a New York nonprofit. It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. The old Dance Hall sits majestically abandoned on the center of the island. From the U.S. (departing from Detroit) your routeto the ferry would looklike this: The ferry boat captain had to take the Detroit Rivers strong current into consideration in maneuvering the ferry boat to the dock. 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. For 19 years, the site has been abandoned, with many rides left to battle corrosion and plant life. I found this very useful for Information! 90-year old Captain Bob-Lo greets passengers - 1970s. 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. Today. 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 Columbia is undergoing restoration. I dont think it is sad at all! You'd be hard-pressed to find much evidence of those rides now. I wish that the people that bought this island could restore it. My husband is on the Grosse Ile Historical Society BoardI have pictures of Sugar Island in its heyday. The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. Over four decades, later, on July 30, 2011, I spent an afternoon on Bob-Lo. From Queens, you can get there via the Roosevelt Island Bridgethis is the only way to walk or drive onto the island. 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). Boblo Island was an amusement park that was open for nearly 100 years. Boblo Island Amusement Park was an amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. 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. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. 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. He was 20 years older than me. 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. Claireoffered their own form of entertainment. I can only imagine the dangers of the dilapidated buildings, to say nothing of concerns about strangers. Livingstone writes that the white sand beach was created in 1957 when a vein of sand in the mouth of the river was dredged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as they deepend the Amherstburg Channel to St. Lawrence Seaway standards, opening the Great Lakesto the world.. The legend of Boblo is still strong in Detroit. These people had no clue whatsoever as to the history of Detroit, or of Bob-Lo. 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. 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). "It's not the exact layout of Boblo Island," Kevin says in the documentary. This is the observation area which would rise to the top. 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). These gleeful youngsters certainly seem amused on a ride at Eastwood, at the northeast corner of Eight Mile Road and . Claire, seen in 2016. Ive always wondered about the island and have wanted to go back. [15] Moodenbaugh had hired Liberal MPP Remo Mancini to help market the park. Why did Boblo Island shut down? The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. 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. The homes come with all appliances. Larry Benaroya, his associate, and his Northern Capital took control of the property; Mancini was fired, and the ownership group put it back on the market in January 1994. Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. [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. This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). This is the inside of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home. Boblo Island was very special. What a shame, all gone because some mega millionaires wanted more money. [26] KPMG found there was no money left to continue supplying basic services. The far end of the island is now all luxury homes. 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 went alot and when my family''s jobs had company picnic it would always be Bob Lo. Take a look at the link below as we take you a journey through what was once Boblo Island Amusement Park, right up to its emerging transformation. You can find the Boblo Island Beach House restaurant on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina Also the Boblo Island Marina: https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina You may be able to get the information you need by writing to: BOBLOMARINA@BOBLO.CA You may want to mention youre coming from the States; I dont know the protocol for private boats crossing the international border in the river to dock. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! Only one blockhouse remains today. [3] The company had claimed it could exclude her because it was a private concern operating in another country and that neither Michigan nor any other state had authority to regulate commerce with Canada (a foreign country); the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Michigan Supreme Court, which had upheld the jurisdiction of the state's anti-discrimination provisions and found against the company. Located at the mouth of the Detroit River, which . 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. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. 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. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. However, due to lack of demand, the park closed in 2001 and never reopened. Over the years, the park began to decline and wane in popularity. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. Im glad you made this comment. There appears to be no such organization, which may not be so surprising. The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. It is so cool to see the old dock piers and the beach is sand. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. British troops captured 60 people and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. 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