- LJ. During the 1920s and 1930s, swimming contests were held that went fromBelle Isleto Bob-Lo, covering 24 miles. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Or not. Located at the mouth of the Detroit River, which . 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. I can forward them to you if you would like. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. The last day of "Oldies Week" is today (at least for now), and the response from the Woody Boater community was fantastic. We toured the Ste Claire in 2015 while restoration efforts were ongoing before fire gutted it on July 6, 2018. 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. For the people who bought property thereyou bought land that was so important to the neighboring cities and had brought so many families together. Pinterest. 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! [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. [24] The island was off limits to non-residents until 2002. Each held about 2,500 passengers. Look at Sugar Island.it once was a special place. Boblo Island Amusement Park was a beloved amusement park that began operating in 1898 and ran for almost 100 years. 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. Please dont judge us without knowing us! Once built, the dance hall was the second largest in the world, able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers. To add . Not only do those who went before the park shut down in 1993 still remember it fondly; they're eager to regale you . It is slated to include a luxury hotel, international shops & restaurants, a 107-berth boat dock, and a pier large enough to accommodate lake cruise ships along with The S.S. . Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. 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 plan is to restore it and have it run in the Hudson River Valley. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! The ship in mid-swing. 10. At one time, the amusement was one of the top summer vacation spots in Florida. Anyone can go on the island via the ferry for a fee of $10 round-trip, but Boblo isn't a typical tourist destination. If I had mega-millions I would invest in restoration of the island and the amusement park. 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. A private community is now being built on the island. You can visit the island now, as I did in July of 2011 (all the photos accompanying the blog posting above were taken on that visit), by taking a small car ferry across a narrow strip of the Detroit River from the Bob-Lo Discovery Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. 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. Yes, Kathy, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant is an easy walk. The 1878 Mangels-Illions Carousels 44 horses, two goats, and two deer were sold for more than $1 million. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. The boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. Part of the old water fountain is still there and you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Most of the homes on the island also come with a large amount of property. . [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. 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. Boblo (or Bob-Lo) sparks memories for many adults who. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. The middle section of the island was developed as a park. There's a white sand beach, walking trails, water sports, a waterside restaurant, an ice cream parlor and an in-ground pool. 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. Morale among the employees both on the Boats and the Island was at an all-time low according to some veteran workers. The amusement was a given. Action Park in New Jersey is known as the most dangerous amusement park in the country, six people passed away from 1980 to 1987. Only a few buildings and the sky tower structure still stand. So sad. The initial attractions of the island were . The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. Known as Boblo Amusement Park, it was wildly popular with American tourists throughout much of the 20th century until it closed in 1993. i need a boblo island abandoned amusement park date pic . Boblo Island closed for essentially the same reasons as many other urban amusement parks closed. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. I am only 12. In 1991, those boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, Mich., to the island, as well as Amherstburg. [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. Boblo Island was very special. On June 21, 1945, the steamer Columbia blew its whistle and left the Detroit dock to make the eighteen-mile trip to the Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park. Explore. There is a dock at the restaurant on the island, Sue. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse built in 1836; its lamp room was destroyed in 1954 when vandals started a fire. It was like a little cruise. Getting to the dock in Detroit early in the morning, the anticipation of boarding the boat, the ride on the river, the views, the fact I could play an arcade game on a boat blew my small mind. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. Its too bad they couldnt have it ready for this year to celebrate its 100th anniversary. 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. The control room area through broken glass. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. One reason is competition from larger theme parks. 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 juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. ", "Small fire breaks out on SS Ste. Sad that it no longer exists. You do it for other people. At about 34-square miles, the island is 12 miles long and six miles long. Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. You know what I think, I have never been over there. 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. [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). Today it is overgrown: The Powerhouse, which looks like small limestone chapel, that provided electricityto the Carousel: The Dance Pavilion a 35,000 feet steel and limestone building designed by Albert Kahn and John Scott and completed in 1913. 272 acres. Riding the Rotor at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh in 1955. Ray was there to celebrate her graduation from secretarial school with her classmates. It is boarded up but . Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! The Nightmare (ride), Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak and Screamer were the signature rides. 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. If you are adventurous and don't mind a difficult climb, you can make a reservation (months in advance) and enter the crown. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. Is there a safe dock area, in which to leave our boat-(also Draft/depth) info .Is there a dock fee? I found this very useful for Information! Parts of that tower still stand. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. Windsor Mayor Arthur John Reaume wanted the island to be designated a National Park. Everyone has a memory to tell. Im glad you made this comment. 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. The Boblo Island boat, S.S. Ste Claire, was destroyed on Friday morning after a massive fire on the ship. . saki, Japan. 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. - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. Anyone . Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park. The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on . It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. Restore it and have it ready for this year to celebrate her graduation from school! '' said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo sky Streak and Screamer were signature! 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