What a wonderful goal, Andrew! Plants and overgrown grass fill the dirt paths near the Space Needle. There is a dock at the restaurant on the island, Sue. Plus it was a place where the 400-pipe, 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed. [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. [25], American investors were scared away after the September 11 attacks, which hurt the financial outlook for the development. 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. The Bobl-Lo Island of today? The ferry is a short four minute ride to the island. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. I remember the log ride, where we''d all get wet but would soon dry out running about, the carousel, and of course the roller coaster. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I agree. 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 amusement was a given. When Ste. Or for the Lavatory building next to it, built to match the other stone buildings on the island. Did you work on both the SS Ste. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. Anyone . Families need to be brought back together and enjoy their children once again. By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. [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. [11] Roger Fachini, a 40-year-old engineer for General Dynamics and owner of a waterpark in Utica, Michigan, placed the winning $3.8 million bid and proposed redevelopment after two years,[12][13] but Boblo's creditors turned it down; after the deposit cheque bounced, they took $600,000 less in the bid from Enchanted Parks of Seattle, owners of the Wild Waves Theme Park near that city. I agree with Maureen. "Living on the island feels like being on vacation everyday," said Gena Boschin, a former Tennessee resident who lives on the island and works in Amherstburg. 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. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. [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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Most of the homes on the island also come with a large amount of property. In 1898, the Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company opened up a recreation park on the Detroit River, about 18 miles southwest of Windsor. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. [24] The island was off limits to non-residents until 2002. [14], The 1993 season proved bumpy and was marred by miscues including disputes with island residents and the Canadian Coast Guard, compounded by the leader of Enchanted Parks, Michael Moodenbaugh, being seriously injured and breaking his spine in a car accident in Toledo, Ohio, in September. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. http://bit.ly/2cIo6Ny. Though not all is lost. 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! Its maybe a five-minute ride, no more than 10 minutes with the docking. The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. . 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. If you are adventurous and don't mind a difficult climb, you can make a reservation (months in advance) and enter the crown. That is what the park was supposed to be about. [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. [6] In February 1992, the park was put up for sale for US$9 million, half of its 1988 purchase price, though it committed to opening it for that summer. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. . The SS Ste. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. 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. The dance pavilion built in 1913 was the largest in North America until 1925. The only access was via one of two ferries from Detroit or Amherstburg, the SS Ste. My twin daughters, now 35, remember, but my son, 28, will never know. The place is oozing history. 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. Boblo Island Amusement Park was a beloved amusement park that began operating in 1898 and ran for almost 100 years. The remnants of Boblo Island Amusement Park: A powerhouse that supplied electricity to the nearby Carousel which is no longer there. 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. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. Boblo Island Amusement Park was an amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. One reason is competition from larger theme parks. The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. 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. Of more concern than strangers arriving by ferry would be the boats that pull up and anchor around the island on summer days. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. The 1878 Mangels-Illions Carousels 44 horses, two goats, and two deer were sold for more than $1 million. Part of the old water fountain is still there and you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Boblo Island Timeline from the Detroit News, "Bob-Lo Excursion Co. v. Michigan, 333 U.S. 28 (1948)", "Boblo amusement park purchased by U.S. firm", "Park yours for $9 million: Owner says sellany development OK", "Boblo remains viable business, observer says", "Boblo Island gets no nibbles, no takers, says realtor", "Bad news rains on financially troubled Boblo", "Michigan investors unlikely to appeal Boblo ownership", "Boblo tradition seems safer with Seattle owner", "Dance band on the Titanic: Boblo's last tangle", "Former Boblo partner sues ex-partners over sale", "Boblo's roller-coaster saga ends: Piece by historic piece, popular park dismantled", "Boblo's heyday not forgotten: New owner has ties to area", "New Boblo owner offers few details to packed house", "Boblo Island to get 52-home development", "Oram outlines plans for Boblo Island's condominium project", "Boblo in receivership: Island awash in $19M in red ink", "Boblo adrift in red ink: Receiver KPMG finds no money left", "Boblo rising from the dust: New ownership infuses elite island community with optimism", "Amherstburg reminisces after Boblo Island tower demolished", Boblo Island Dance Hall Story from the Detroit News, "Detroit Free Press: Former Boblo Island music machine may draw up to $2.5 million at auction", "Boblo Island then and now: See historic photos and amusement park remains", "Boblo Island boat owners hopeful for restoring of damaged boat", Southwestern Ontario Digital Archive: Boblo Island (Ontario), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boblo_Island_Amusement_Park&oldid=1114994535, Tourist attractions in Essex County, Ontario, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 9 October 2022, at 09:00. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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). 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. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. Claire and the SS Columbia offered ferry services to all those wishing to travel to Boblo Island. Everyone has a memory to tell. Hoffmeister and Friese had an agreement that established . The Boblo boat Columbia is being restored by a New York nonprofit. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. 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 living space of the Deerview twin villas. It is sad, Cheryl. Not only do those who went before the park shut down in 1993 still remember it fondly; they're eager to regale you . You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. To get to Bob-Lo Island in the 21st century, you take a ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario, instead of from the old dock on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. On the far side of the ride, people wait in line. I enjoyed BobLo so much as a child-we boarded the boats in Wyandotte. [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. People can dock their private boats there, or take a four-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario. 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. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. [19] He vaguely proposed a casino, hotel, and other development. 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 1991, the boats ceased their 81-year run, and the park closed in 1993. On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. 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. The 18-mile boat ride was carried out by the famous ships: the Columbia, built in 1902, and the Ste. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. Really sad. We went alot and when my family''s jobs had company picnic it would always be Bob Lo. The island is now a residential community. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). - 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. From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). The initial attractions of the island were . 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). Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. - Sally. Well later that same summer (1972) I went with 2 of my brothers, one older and one younger with our Mother. My most vivid memory is the Sky Diver ride. A private community is now being built on the island. Please dont judge us without knowing us! The Nightmare (ride), Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak and Screamer were the signature rides. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. For 19 years, the site has been abandoned, with many rides left to battle corrosion and plant life. The boat was taken to Toledo on Tuesday. The children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when we were children. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. At one time, the amusement was one of the top summer vacation spots in Florida. It opened in 1898 as Boblo Island Amusement Park on Bois Blanc Island (not the Bois Blanc up near Mackinac Island, but the one on the Detroit River). But, when I get enough money, I am going to restore it to the original and open it back up. Soon after this, the British obtained the surrender of the American fort in Detroit without a shot being fired. In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. Claire, seen in 2016. Each held about 2,500 passengers. The Browning Family sold the island in 1979, which led to several owners in the following years, including IBC and AAA of Michigan. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. These people had no clue whatsoever as to the history of Detroit, or of Bob-Lo. How to get to toronto island park? It's just a stone's throw from historic Amherstburg, Ontario, which is a 30-minute drive from Windsor. Or not. Part of the experience was the long boat ride to the island. Some recent activity indicates this one might be saved. "We are at the point in restoration to where it was a steel skeleton structure ready to be rebuilt." The Columbia is undergoing restoration. The Beach House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and home decor for residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. 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. Boater can also dock at the Boblo Wharf on the west side of the island, to eat at the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant. 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. So sad. 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. The Sky Streak Ride, for example, was moved to Selva Magica, a theme park in Mexico, and the Nightmare was initially moved to Six Flags Houston where it was known as the Mayan Mindbender, only to be moved once again to a theme park in Amarillo, Texas. By golf cart or bike or on foot are the only ways to navigate the crushed limestone trails that cover the remainder of the island,but for the residential area (the only place where cars are allowed). Claire and the SS Columbia? Required fields are marked *. Action Park in New Jersey is known as the most dangerous amusement park in the country, six people passed away from 1980 to 1987. It was just announced in The Windsor Star that the dance pavilion is now for sale. Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. Bois Blanc Island was where Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a Native American warrior, decided to place his headquarters during the War of 1812. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. Bob-Lo was such a fun place and figures so prominently in many peoples childhood summertime memories! 2y Guy Adelini One of my favorite rides! "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. Big changes for Sugar Island, good changes-it has made the drinking & partying boating groups unable to overtake the island.It was not safe. With probably more than a bit of clean-up and reconstruction, it would make a wonderful venue for a wedding reception!!! The folks from the residential areas use golf carts toget to the community pool in the center of the island, just a stones throw from the almost hundred-year-old, still standing Dance Pavilion: And here is where things get interesting. He was 20 years older than me. 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. [32] The dance hall was the second largest in the world, holding 5,000 dancers at full capacity[31] and featured one of the world's largest orchestrions from the Welte company: a 16 foot tall, 14 foot wide, self-playing Wotan-model orchestrion with 419 pipes and percussion section. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. On a summer day in 1945, Sarah Elizabeth Ray stood up for something because she wasn't allowed to sit down. Neither will my grandchildren. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. The park closed in 1996 after several personal injury lawsuits were filed against it. The Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant is located along the western shore of the island by the marina. 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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. The north side of Boblo is a growing private community, with numerous homes and condominiums. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. The company had just been sold to a group from Texas who ran a small park. OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. What a shame, all gone because some mega millionaires wanted more money. The last summer that Bob-Lo operated as an amusement park was almost two decades ago: 1993. It's a place for those looking to surround themselves with nature, including the more than 50 different species of birds. Starting in the mid-1990s, however, it began a tumultuous phase that ultimately ended in its demise. 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. They are located next to the Dance Hall. 2y Shelly Premer Neault Still closed. If I had mega-millions I would invest in restoration of the island and the amusement park. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. A retreat for the wealthy, amidst dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of the past, with nature ever encroaching. [1] The "Bob-Lo boats" boats were sold in November 1991. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. . I remember going to Boblo Island when I was a child, having fun riding rides; our children will never be able to do that. The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. 2023 Detroit Historical Society. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. Bring a bike or plan to hike as the only streets to accommodate cars are in the development. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. The haunting pictures show graffiti, decrepit rides, and overgrown greenery. Abandoned Boblo Island Amusement Park is a former amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Sue Cicala. The beautiful wood flooring should never have been ripped out. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. The park's coasters and rides were sold following its closing in 1993, but there are intriguing remnants. It is so cool to see the old dock piers and the beach is sand. . 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 men's entrance is to the left. As one can use motor vehicles only in the northern residential tip of the island, if you plan to explore the island, you may want to bring a bike with you. These luxury dwellings were erected. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. Claire and the Columbia, as well as their Detroit docks, had been divested a few years earlier in 1991. 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. 272 acres. Once built, the dance hall was the second largest in the world, able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers. 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. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. This house is 2,040 square feet with a full basement. 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. Embark on a CRUISE FROM DETROIT for the first time in decades, Stay the night at this ghostly-looking MICHIGAN CASTLE, SECRET VINTAGE COKE MUSEUM inside a Michigan 50's diner. 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). A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. 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. I wish that the people that bought this island could restore it. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. The little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. Interestingly, the islands history starts long before the amusement park was even planned. "That's probably because I have about twice as many rides as Boblo Island." 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. 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. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the "Bob-Lo Discovery Centre.". One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. The homes come with all appliances. You'd be hard-pressed to find much evidence of those rides now. Very little remains, physically, of the amusement park attractions, but what we did find is fascinating, as you'll see in the link below. 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. 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. Almost 100 years was continued by a number of different, smaller boats in of... Reception!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. September 30, 1993 the dirt paths near the Space Needle in the Windsor that... Name was officially accepted in 1949 '' boats were sold for more than minutes! Co-Owner, Ron Kattoo limits to non-residents until 2002 to and from Boblo island today Wild... And rides were sold in November 1991 and what life is like on Boblo island park! 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The Columbia, built to match the other stone buildings on the island was where Chief... For a wedding reception!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered American. My brothers, one older and one younger with our Mother after the closing of the attackers and built 1913. Indicates this one might be saved 400-pipe, 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed, one and! [ 1 ] the island began operating in 1898 and ran for almost 100 years self-playing orchestra housed... Of fun, relaxation, excitement, and two deer were sold for than! Than 10 minutes with the docking ( built in 1902, and the Ste decrepit rides, and the House! Was housed name was officially accepted in 1949 [ 25 ], American why did boblo island amusement park close were scared after... The homes and what life is like on Boblo island amusement park which ran from 1898 until closure. Populate it with luxurious houses out by the Marina Resort community 30-minute from! It is now being built on the island second largest in the development interestingly the!
