The goal of developers is to someday populate the entire island with neighborhoods. Ive always wondered about the island and have wanted to go back. Its a wonderful feeling strolling the island, standing next to buildings where 10s of thousands of souls now long departed use to frequent. "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. It closed for good in 1993, 25 years ago. It's located in Amherstburg, Ontario. Would love to know more about your experience working on the Bob-Lo boats. You support the mega millionaires who dont care about anything else in life except their bank accounts. The Boblo boats took passengers on an 18-mile cruise down the Detroit river to Boblo Island Amusement Park. Restoration of the Ste Claire had been going on for a few years. Boblo's trains made a 20-minute circuit around about 2 miles of track . "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. Newly restored in the Spring of 2013 by the residents of the community, they now offer Blockhouse tours on most Sundays from 1pm - 4pm. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. Boblo Island, originally names Bois Blanc (White Woods in French) opened as a Park in 1898. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! To tell you the truth I remember the boat rides to the park more than the park itself. Visit Boblo.ca for information about living on the island. In the distance is a building featuring dozens of condos. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. It disappeared for the same reasons like Marineland of the Pacific, and the park in Long Beach. Find useful information, the address and the phone number of the local business you are looking for. He was 20 years older than me. Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. This amusement park, while once the delight of both kids and adults until the early 90s, has been abandoned for more than two decades. The best time was 8 hours and 42 minutes turned in by 17-year old Dorothy de Caussin and 15-year old Ida Mutnick, both of Detroit. Sq.Ft. [Meta] Sticky Comment. This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). Or not. I wish that the people that bought this island could restore it. 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. 11 Properties from $2,300. There are no hotels. Posted . 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. (From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina), BOBLO BOAT TOUR: Take a video tour of the historic boat that traveled the Detroit River for 81 years. There are two total bedrooms in this home. These are some of the many doors leading to the inside of the old Dance Hall. The 375-foot Sky Tower, rusting and visible from the Powerhouse and most of the island, as well as from other locations on the river like Grosse Ile: And a few other buildings, like the open one that may have housed the dodgem cars built in 1928, and another with more shattered windows, the Souvenir building. why did boblo island close. It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. why did boblo island close. Thank you again for the information. Wild grapevine has made it to the second floor balcony of the gallery. What Occupation Did The Boblo Boat Workers Have? 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. The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. For more than a century, Bob-Lo Island had belonged to Ontario Province. I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. This is the inside of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home. The Boblo Island Detroit dock building can be seen on the Detroit, Michigan side of the Detroit River. 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. Here are some we found on various blogs and forums: I was one of the last generations of people who were able to enjoy Bob-Lo island amusement park. It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. It's sister boat, the Columbia, was built in 1902. - LJ. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. BOBLO ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK entertained people from both Canada and USA for 96 YEARS ! 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. Boblo Island today: If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. [29], The tower for the Space Needle ride was demolished in 2021, with Amicone citing "health and safety concerns". what a fun and exciting place. 3 F 1 1/2. I just would like to see whats there and for my family to share it with me. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. - Bonnie, Oh! [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. Given that the island was known as the Boblo Island Amusement Park from 1898 1993, Id say, overall, it was a pretty successful run. The name 'Boblo' came back recently after a massive fire destroyed an iconic ferry that used to take people to and from the now closed island amusement park. As well as some great stories, it includes some good photographs from all of the islands incarnations! Once built, the dance hall was the second largest in the world, able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers. An incident in 1902 caused a man-made mini earthquake on the island. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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). An island in Amherstburg, Ont. Check out the tracker on the SE side of Boblo! Ironically, after Canada abolished slavery in 1793, the island became a rest stop for escaped slaves traveling the Underground Railroad. 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. Well I would say as a resident (who by the way is not a mega millionaire), that we dont mind having company on the island and share it with those who want to come out. The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. Millions of Americans and Canadians share memories of riding the Swan Boats or the train that circled the park. [27] Dominic Amicone became the new owner in 2005. Claire and the SS Columbia? Presented in the name of the border cities of Detroit, Windsor, and Amherstburg. And then came the Boblo Island Amusement Park with its famous Screamer, Nightmare, and Wild Mouse rides, its zoo, and carousel. The Beach House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and home decor for residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. (LogOut/ We also traveled from. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. While incapacitated in hospital, he lost legal control of island. Both vessels are bound for Boblo Island. You may have more than a few challenges now that people live there, but I wish you the best of luck! Valentine and Sons United Publishing Company - This image is part of the Canadian Copyright Collection held by the British Library, and has been digitized as part of the "Picturing Canada" project. A woman leans against the fence in the foreground to take a picture of the ride. The ferrys were known as "Bob-Lo Boats" and held about 2,500 passengers each. Unclaimed. A street sign shows people where they are as they arrive on the island. Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. All rights reserved (About Us). Morale among the employees both on the Boats and the Island was at an all-time low according to some veteran workers. Kathleen Saylors. The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (LogOut/ Really sad. Not fair to blame millionaires when often it is a corporation that can run out money after 5 or 6 bad years. The Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority found a way to end a 100-year agreement that gave the Moroun-owned Ambassador Port Co. sweeping control, but questions remain about the speed at which the deal gained approval of the public authority's board, transparency about the deal and what it means for the port going forward. The man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. Abandoned Boblo Island Amusement Park is a former amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. DETROIT Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. Some of the most popular rides were "The Nightmare," "Sky Streak, "Screamer," and "Wild Mouse.". For many people the best ride of the day was on the Bob-Lo Boat that took visitors to the island. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. The Boblo boat took passengers on an 18-mile cruise down the Detroit river to Boblo Island Amusement Park. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The north side of Boblo is a growing private community, with numerous homes and condominiums. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . An estimated 30,000 people passed through the island on their way to freedom. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Competition came in, e.g., Sea World. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. Most of the homes on the island also come with a large amount of property. 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. http://boblo.ca/. Interestingly, the islands history starts long before the amusement park was even planned. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. Following the war, British forces garrisoned at Fort Malden in Amherstburg, across the river from Bois Blanc, and strengthened their position by building three blockhouses on the island. The passageway still exists showing Gilbraltar, Michigan to the left and Amherstburg, Ontario to the right. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. Building the lighthouse on the island instead of the shoal presented several advantages: a shorter tower could be used due to the . I can forward them to you if you would like. Boblo Island Amusement Park had its own custom version of bumper cars, known as Boblos Scootaboats. It's docked in New York. Opened in 1898, Boblo Island was one of North America's. 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. Scattered over the restof the island, there are still a number of structures left from other erasmidst overgrown grass, downed limbs from trees, and more than a few other surprises: At the south end of the island, two pieces of history, although damaged, still stand: In the portion of the island that was once the amusement parkBob-Lo as the babyboomers knew ita number of structures still stand: Unfortunately, despite a private-property-no-trespassing sign . mike smithson tutor perini; ford f 350 ignition switch replacement. In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. 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. 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. Every home on the island is just steps away from the water. The restaurant is open to residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. http://bit.ly/2cIo6Ny. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale YouTube Channel The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. 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. Over four decades, later, on July 30, 2011, I spent an afternoon on Bob-Lo. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. [30], The Falling Star, log flume, Enterprise, Sky Tower (Space Needle), Ferris wheel, a zoo, and a carousel were the signature attractions. The island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. 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. 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. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. Big changes for Sugar Island, good changes-it has made the drinking & partying boating groups unable to overtake the island.It was not safe. Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant Visiters to the marina can visit the small gallery of photographs and paintings of water scenes or rent bikes to explore the island (although what appeared to be the bike rental building was closed on this July Saturday, so perhaps not). Over the years it grew into a unique island amusement park, with a midway and dozens of rides. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. Each boat could hold about 2,500 passengers. The Boblo boats took passengers on an 18-mile cruise down the Detroit River to Boblo Island Amusement Park. Families need to be brought back together and enjoy their children once again.