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. Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. Abandoned Boblo Island Amusement Park is a former amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. View TODAY's New Listings by beds, baths, lot size, listing status, days on market, & more! I dont think it is sad at all! What a shame, all gone because some mega millionaires wanted more money. Colorful picnic tables near Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin. Its very sad because growing up that was all everyone talked about was Boblo Island, and all the amazing memories. And then came the Boblo Island Amusement Park with its famous Screamer, Nightmare, and Wild Mouse rides, its zoo, and carousel. After 1796, British interests controlled the island and it was the staging point for the first local action in the War of 1812. Over the roughly two-and-a-half decades that have passed since the closure, many of the most telltale signs of the park have faded away, including the ultra spooky-looking ferry boats that used to. 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. I would bring back the lost souls and add life to the island again. Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. This is actually only about half of the full-size basement which has been fitted with windows and electricity for add-on bedrooms. 2023 Detroit Historical Society. Opened in 1898, Boblo Island was one of North America's. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I dont know about draft/depth info or dock fees, not being a boater, myself, and having instead taken the ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario. Very little remains, physically, of the amusement park attractions, but what we did find is fascinating, as you'll see in the link below. Presented in the name of the border cities of Detroit, Windsor, and Amherstburg. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. I wouldnt identify the owners in this suburban retreat as millionaires, but the island has been many things to many people over the centuries: the Ojibwe, the Ottawa, the Potawatomi, and the Wyandot all used the island before it was christened Bois Blanc. Later it was: a camp for European explorers, the site of a French Catholic mission, within reach of a British fort, headquarters for the Shawnee chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812, an invasion site for Canadian patriots during the Upper Canada Rebellion, and more recently, a picnic spot and a dance venue, all before the rise and decline of the amusement park. . My favorite ride was the Log Ride, I thought it was the greatest thing of all time. Look at Sugar Island.it once was a special place. One reason is competition from larger theme parks. [24] The island was off limits to non-residents until 2002. Check out the tracker on the SE side of Boblo! [4], IBC declared bankruptcy in 1991. The reasons for its closure were numerous, ranging from rising maintenance costs and poor management to stronger competition from the nearby, more attractive Cedar Point Park. I agree; it would be wonderful if the park could be restored or perhaps, reinvented to serve in a new way of bringing community together! It closed for good in 1993, 25 years ago. One of these survived to become a souvenir stand for the amusement park. Unclaimed. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. Boblo closed for good in September 1993. All Rights Reserved. This amusement park, while once the delight of both kids and adults until the early 90s, has been abandoned for more than two decades. - Kathy G. We kids were able to run up and down the stairs on the boat and go to the dance floor. Did you work on both the SS Ste. It is the remnant of a place where river boats took passengers to an amusement park on a Canadian island just to the south western end of the Detroit River. We live on the east shore of Grosse Ile, we would love to take our boat to eat at the restaurant. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. Purchasing a home on Boblo Island? The steamers, the Ste. Places like fort custer, MI and fort sheridan, illinois, all sold to profiteers. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the Bob-Lo Discovery Centre. The ride takes about 5 or 10 minutes, instead of the hour it used to take whenone departedon the other side of the border. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on. - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. The island has quite an interesting history. The island is now a residential community. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this site. Its a shame that Boblo Island had to close. why did boblo island close. 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 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. Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. It's just a stone's throw from historic Amherstburg, Ontario, which is a 30-minute drive from Windsor. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. BOBLO ISLAND - The echoes from the screams of delight have long faded from Boblo Island Amusement Park, the Cedar Point of Michigan for most kids growing up in our region. why did boblo island close. Both vessels are bound for Boblo Island. Competition came in, e.g., Sea World. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. I know the kids and people of this generation are definitely looking forward to more developments. The company was busy during the week, moving people and goods up and down the river. [20] Oram then leased and shut down the White Sands boater's hangout adjacent to the park site, citing trespassers but infuriating boaters; as a result, the lease was dropped within weeks. People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. Many of the other rides are still entertaining guests at parks in Texas, Maryland, British Columbia, and Mexico. Over four decades, later, on July 30, 2011, I spent an afternoon on Bob-Lo. Boblo Island Amusement Park had its own custom version of bumper cars, known as Boblos Scootaboats. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. Its maybe a five-minute ride, no more than 10 minutes with the docking. Hard to believe, but for the first time in 124 years, there is no such place as Boblo Island. 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. [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. In 1991, those boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, Mich., to the island, as well as Amherstburg. 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. [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. The cars operated by drawing power from an overhead electric grid unlike the Bumper Boats in use today. 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. Would love to know more about your experience working on the Bob-Lo boats. There were several trips from Detroit each day, but only two stops in Wyandotte. Rule 2 does not apply when replying to this stickied comment.. Rule 2 does apply throughout the rest of this thread.. What this means: Please keep any "meta" discussion directed at specific users, mods, or r/conspiracy in general in this comment chain only.. The Boblo Island Detroit dock building can be seen on the Detroit, Michigan side of the Detroit River. That is what the park was supposed to be about. [26] KPMG found there was no money left to continue supplying basic services. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [19] He vaguely proposed a casino, hotel, and other development. 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. How to live on Boblo Island: People from all over Michigan, Canada and from as far away as California, have chosen to make Boblo Island their home. It's a place for those looking to surround themselves with nature, including the more than 50 different species of birds. [5] The boats were sold off as a result of a decision to shutter operations at the Detroit dock. It is a story told in a new movie that premiered last week in Detroit called "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale". We toured the Ste Claire in 2015 while restoration efforts were ongoing before fire gutted it on July 6, 2018. He wore a variety of colorful clothing, including a large hat with 'Captain Bob Lo' on the peak, and was typically equipped with binoculars for navigation purposes. Neither will my grandchildren. The rides were sold in 1994, but as we discovered via YouTube, a number of the park's structures still stand on the island. In fact didn''t go as much as I would of liked to. There is a dock at the restaurant on the island, Sue. We also traveled from past to the present on the island, which was a must-visit destination for families for decades. [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. Part of the old water fountain is still there and you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society. The first thing I did when I got back home was to search for a Bob-Lo Historical Society on the Internet. The control room area through broken glass. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. As a child I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit Side of the island. Enjoy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/historic-boblo-island-blo_n_1098807.html, http://www.flickr.com/photos/33535417@N05/4112593095/, http://www.boblo.ca/pages/living/restaurant.html, https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina, http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit, http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development, http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/, Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant Houzz Home, Slaves (traveling the Underground Railroad), The south blockhouse, built in 1838 (Update: See. What Occupation Did The Boblo Boat Workers Have? Although I had $8.00 in Canadian currency in hand to pay the ferry toll, I rode the ferry without being charged and with no questions asked. The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. 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. Kathleen Saylors. Bois Blanc Island, French for White Woods Island, was named on account of its numerous white-barked birch and beech trees, and is today commonly known as Boblo Island, an English corruption of the original name. The Bob-Lo boats, once looked upon as part of the attraction of going on a trip to Bob-Lo were later being looked at as time wasted that could have been spent at the park. mopar 727 transmission casting numbers. Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. - Sally. 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. 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. I remember going to Boblo Island when I was a child, having fun riding rides; our children will never be able to do that. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. [1] The "Bob-Lo boats" boats were sold in November 1991. [2] After Michigan found Bob-Lo guilty and fined the company, Bob-Lo filed a lawsuit against the state, Bob-Lo Excursion Co. v. Michigan, 333 U.S. 28 (1948). The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. These are the remains of some of the washrooms. For the people who bought property thereyou bought land that was so important to the neighboring cities and had brought so many families together. This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). wayne hills high school marching band; code postal ariana borj louzir; homes for sale on cary drive auburn, al 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. Thank you again!! Answer (1 of 2): I have barely recallable memories of POP. The only access was via one of two ferries from Detroit or Amherstburg, the SS Ste. I believe the unfortunate combination of being a Canadian island with almost all American history is the reason its not being cherished by people in Canada. I found this very useful for Information! In June 1945, Sarah Elizabeth Ray and 12 other female workers involved in the war effort (and referred to as "girls" during the legal proceedings) took part in a sponsored trip to Boblo Island. 582 gold coast drive boblo island ontario windsor essex ontario mls 22015670 video tour available at https wwwdangemuscom listings welcome to the awesome lifestyle on bois blanc also known as boblo. It is sad, Cheryl. Claire V can fit up to 16 vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. 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. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 3 F 1 1/2. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide - just 272 acres. Anyone can go on the island via the ferry for a fee of $10 round-trip, but Boblo isn't a typical tourist destination. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse built in 1836; its lamp room was destroyed in 1954 when vandals started a fire. The swan paddle boat ride was added in 1970, which became a fan favorite. 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. Claireoffered their own form of entertainment. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. Boblo Island is an Island in the Detroit River located directly west of Amherstburg, Ontario, on the Canadian side of the border. The last day of "Oldies Week" is today (at least for now), and the response from the Woody Boater community was fantastic. Without Michael's approval the park was closed, the rides sold off, dismantled and shipped away. Comments Off on why did boblo island close; June 9, 2022; why did boblo island close Ironically, after Canada abolished slavery in 1793, the island became a rest stop for escaped slaves traveling the Underground Railroad. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. It's located in Amherstburg, Ontario. Claire was engulfed in an accidental fire while docked on the Detroit River on July 6, 2018. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. At the end of the turbulent 75 minutes, Boblo Boats brings us up-to-date on restoration efforts for both ferries while simultaneously summoning an unanticipated moral force. . The beautiful wood flooring should never have been ripped out. To rebuild would be one of lifes pleasures. I wish that the people that bought this island could restore it. Bob-Lo was such a fun place and figures so prominently in many peoples childhood summertime memories! Change). Boblo officially closed in 1993. He was 20 years older than me. Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. 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. How to get to Boblo Island: A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. 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). Each boat could hold about 2,500 passengers. why did boblo island close. One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. Every home on the island is just steps away from the water. A tri-plex home. They are located next to the Dance Hall. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . Departing from the foot of Woodward Avenue, whereHart Plazais now, theColumbiaandSte. [16] Moodenbaugh later sued Benaroya and others for attempting to sell the park while he lay in a "virtual coma". While incapacitated in hospital, he lost legal control of island. There appears to be no such organization, which may not be so surprising. One 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. Wild grapevine has made it to the second floor balcony of the gallery. One to pick up, and one to return people. Nessel calls on DTE, Consumers to issue automatic power outage credits after storm. Second case of COVID-19 confirmed in Windsor-Essex City of Windsor declares state of emergency, Devonshire and Tecumseh malls to close Boblo Island residential development plan moving forward. [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 am only 12. It was on a small island in the Detroit River at the mouth of Lake Erie.
Sunset Funeral Home New Braunfels,
Funny Ghetto Quotes And Sayings,
Mobile Home Toter Mirrors,
Dinah Shore Weekend 2022,
Articles W