The homes come with all appliances. Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island Amusement Park. Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. My concern with respect to Bob-Lo Island is that what structures are left from the islands very interesting history are not being adequately protected. With a blast of the big steam whistle, lines were cast off, and the 20-mile voyage began, taking about 80 minutes. Its entrance is at Vernon Boulevard and Main Street in Astoria. 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.. The children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when we were children. For visitors based in Detroit, it was about 30 kilometers away and could be reached by ferry. Hoffmeister and Friese had an agreement that established . The passageway still exists showing Gilbraltar, Michigan to the left and Amherstburg, Ontario to the right. - Sally. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The park has been closed since 1993, but the legend of Boblo is still strong. Not one thing mentioned on the dance hall being 100 years old this year. Or for the Lavatory building next to it, built to match the other stone buildings on the island. 2y Guy Adelini One of my favorite rides! Some of the most popular rides were "The Nightmare," "Sky Streak, "Screamer," and "Wild Mouse.". A powerhouse that supplied electricity to the nearby Carousel which is no longer there. [18], In 1994, John Oram, an Iraqi immigrant to the United States who owned car stereo businesses, purchased the Boblo Island site. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide - just 272 acres. 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). 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. The place is oozing history. 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). I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. They operated a Rotor in West Germany at Oktoberfest in 1949. 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. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. I just would like to see whats there and for my family to share it with me. For more than 85 years, the Boblo Island Amusement Park was famous for being served by the Steamer Ste Claire and the Steamer Columbia excursion boats that could hold about 2,500 passengers each. Only a few buildings and the sky tower structure still stand. Yes, Kathy, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant is an easy walk. You can take a tour of the model homes on Boblo Island on Saturdays and Sundays with an island specialist by calling 519-736-1111. 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. I can forward them to you if you would like. Newly restored in the Spring of 2013 by the residents of the community, they now offer Blockhouse tours on most Sundays from 1pm - 4pm. 2023 Detroit Historical Society. . British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. We need to preserve what we have left, just for historys sake. The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. I agree with Maureen. Over four decades, later, on July 30, 2011, I spent an afternoon on Bob-Lo. 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. 525 55 shares Like Most relevant Ryan Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down? 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. Claire and the Columbia, as well as their Detroit docks, had been divested a few years earlier in 1991. The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. Both doors are were chain locked. It was just announced in The Windsor Star that the dance pavilion is now for sale. By 1910 the first amusement park rides, the carousel, ponies and a dancing pavillion were available. 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. Windsor Mayor Arthur John Reaume wanted the island to be designated a National Park. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Abandoned Boblo Island Amusement Park is a former amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. When did Boblo boat stop running? The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. The Beach House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and home decor for residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. Boblo Island was very special. 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. This thrilling park closed its doors for good in 1981, but not before providing visitors with decades of fun. 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. When I was riding my bike on a trail that runs through the middle of the island, I came upon a T-intersection buried amidst tall, tall grass, with the Carousel Building on my left and the Powerhouse on my right. The abandoned amusement park was a p. 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. Pinterest. Boblo Island Amusement Park ran from 1898 to 1993. Neither will my grandchildren. After the short ferry ride, residents simply drive right onto the island onto Boblo Island Blvd. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. My favorite ride was the Log Ride, I thought it was the greatest thing of all time. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. The east side of the island is now home to residential property, marinas, a restaurant and more. Even the words scrawled across its portal announced simply "Eastwood Park.". For visitors based in Detroit, it was about 30 kilometers away and could be reached by ferry. The beautiful wood flooring should never have been ripped out. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. 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. 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. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. 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. In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. "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.". Loved going to Bob-Lo as a kid. The park closed in 1996 after several personal injury lawsuits were filed against it. About Boblo Island Amusement Park: This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. Bois Blanc has been part of Canada since 1787. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. From Queens, you can get there via the Roosevelt Island Bridgethis is the only way to walk or drive onto the island. . Page 51", "Historic Boblo boats land role in Transformers 4", "Boblo Island boat owners hopeful for restoring of damaged boat: What's next for the SS Ste Claire? Rides, music, thrills, and lights attracted thousands of visitors year after year. My husband is from The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on . Boblo Boats: A Detroit Fairy Tale Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale YouTube Channel 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. Its sister. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). Your email address will not be published. The Boblo boat Columbia is being restored by a New York nonprofit. 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 website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. 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. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. One of these survived to become a souvenir stand for the amusement park. Claire was engulfed in an accidental fire while docked on the Detroit River on July 6, 2018. Its very sad because growing up that was all everyone talked about was Boblo Island, and all the amazing memories. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. http://boblo.ca/. In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. A model of existing and future residential properties and harbor on Boblo Island at the Boblo Discovery Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. We also traveled. The restaurant just opened for the season on the 24th, this past Friday. An estimated 30,000 people passed through the island on their way to freedom. The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. Did you work on both the SS Ste. The first thing I did when I got back home was to search for a Bob-Lo Historical Society on the Internet. When you disembark from the ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area. There are two total bedrooms in this home. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. A sign leads residents and visitors to dining venues and the marina on Boblo Island. 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. As well as some great stories, it includes some good photographs from all of the islands incarnations! Claire and the SS Columbia? To add . He was 20 years older than me. Long and a dancing pavillion were available on September 30, 1993 to or. Mentioned on the dance pavilion is now for sale had a small railroad dead a long time ago July,... 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