Thank you again!! For many people the best ride of the day was on the Bob-Lo Boat that took visitors to the island. One of these survived to become a souvenir stand for the amusement park. This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. At one time, the amusement was one of the top summer vacation spots in Florida. 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. The swan paddle boat ride was added in 1970, which became a fan favorite. Bois Blanc Island was where Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a Native American warrior, decided to place his headquarters during the War of 1812. Why not this man who gave everyone joy in life with their families? Millions of Americans and Canadians share memories of riding the Swan Boats or the train that circled the park. The island is now a residential community. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. In 1949, bankruptcy threatened the island park. It had e. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. Newly restored in the Spring of 2013 by the residents of the community, they now offer Blockhouse tours on most Sundays from 1pm - 4pm. We were participating in a totally sanctioned, transportation-provided-by-the-school-district Ninth-Grade Skip Day. We would have boarded either the Ste. 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. What's with those GIANT PIE PANS in Traverse City & Charlevoix? Ray was there to celebrate her graduation from secretarial school with her classmates. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. Claire V can fit up to 16 vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists. steeped in history is open for business. 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. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. 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). See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. There are just two ways in and out of the island. Bob-Lo was such a fun place and figures so prominently in many peoples childhood summertime memories! Built all the way back in 1898, the Boblo Island Amusement Park was a shining beacon of wholesome fun. The middle section of the island was developed as a park. 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. From 1984 to 1985 there were 26 head injuries and 14 broken bones reported. 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. 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 man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. A model of existing and future residential properties and harbor on Boblo Island at the Boblo Discovery Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. [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. [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. It was like a little cruise. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. 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. Riding the Rotor at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh in 1955. Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. 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 ship in mid-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. 2y Shelly Premer Neault Still closed. Just read one of the many postcards you can find online from people back in the day. In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. Claire and the SS Columbia offered ferry services to all those wishing to travel to Boblo Island. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. Each boat could hold about 2,500 passengers. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. 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. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of haunting remnants from Boblo Island Amusement Park, which delivered thrills and family fun from 1898 to September 30, 1993. There are no hotels. It's a place for those looking to surround themselves with nature, including the more than 50 different species of birds. The British also built a lighthouse in 1836 which operated until 1959. The Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant is located along the western shore of the island by the marina. After 1796, British interests controlled the island and it was the staging point for the first local action in the War of 1812. The SS Ste. One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. I did notice, however, the last time we went the island had gone downhill quite a bit. When Ste. 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. This is the structure that once housed the Boblo Island Amusement Park bumper cars. [15] Moodenbaugh had hired Liberal MPP Remo Mancini to help market the park. Boblo was originally named Bois Blanc by the French, but residents couldn't pronounce the name. "It's not the exact layout of Boblo Island," Kevin says in the documentary. The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. Over the years it grew into a unique island amusement park, with a midway and dozens of rides. Remember it was a time when girls wore dresses and not pants, so we sure had to be careful on the rides (check out the pictures how the girls were dressed). This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. The remnants of Boblo Island Amusement Park: 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. Some recent activity indicates this one might be saved. About Boblo Island: The Boblo Island amusement park closed in the 1990s after a century of operation. [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. 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. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. Opened in Orlando in 1976, River Country was Walt Disney's first waterpark. 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. And I stood and looked across the river, and what I remember is no longer there, and Im 54 years old . After the boats docked at night back in Detroit, Mr. Short continued entertaining at the local bars and taverns he frequented.[33]. Plant life around the old Space Needle observation tower. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park. What did you do? [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. Part of the old water fountain is still there and you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Touch device users . 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. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. Theme parks, like Lake Shawnee Park in West Virginia, closed down after guests died at the park. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. The men's entrance is to the left. While incapacitated in hospital, he lost legal control of island. You may have more than a few challenges now that people live there, but I wish you the best of luck! If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. How I recall the fun times of going to Bob-Lo, with my sisters and brother. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. In 1993, after nearly 100 years in the business of entertainment, it was decided that the park was to be closed. The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on . The far end of the island is now all luxury homes. 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). 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. After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. 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. The people of Detroit, Michigan characterized it as that city's Coney Island. 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. 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. . "I have all the amenities of city life that I need within walking distance in Amherstburg, and all the amazing amenities the island life brings me.". 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. "[2] The Michigan Supreme Court fined the company $25 for the discrimination they presented towards Ray. One of those blockhouses remains, and is open for touring. Boblo Island Amusement Park had its own custom version of bumper cars, known as Boblos Scootaboats. We live on the east shore of Grosse Ile, we would love to take our boat to eat at the restaurant. I learned this and most of what I know about the history of Bob-Lo Island from 1670 2006 in the book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island by Patrick Livingston (published in 2008 by the Wayne State University Press in Detroit as a part of their Great Lakes Books series): How does Bob-Lo Island appear today, Saturday, July 30, 2011? Of more concern than strangers arriving by ferry would be the boats that pull up and anchor around the island on summer days. 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. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. 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. Given that the island was known as the Boblo Island Amusement Park from 1898 1993, Id say, overall, it was a pretty successful run. Your email address will not be published. "We are at the point in restoration to where it was a steel skeleton structure ready to be rebuilt." 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. 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. The living space of the Deerview twin villas. Claire, seen in 2016. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. 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