Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park. 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 agree. The scion of one of Seattle's wealthiest and most philanthropic families, Benaroya was bankrolling Moodenbaugh's dream to resurrect the Boblo Island Amusement Park near Detroit. The island was home to a popular amusement park starting in the late 1890s. 2y Shelly Premer Neault Still closed. Boblo (or Bob-Lo) sparks memories for many adults who. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide - just 272 acres. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. "That's probably because I have about twice as many rides as Boblo Island." We dont save anything for history any more. 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. Touch device users . Neither will my grandchildren. Just read one of the many postcards you can find online from people back in the day. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. One to pick up, and one to return people. The island is owned nearly in its entirety by Windsor developer Dominic Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island development company. Claire. The ride takes about 5 or 10 minutes, instead of the hour it used to take . The homes come with all appliances. 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 is what the more than 100-year old steamer looked like a few years ago. 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. 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. 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. The 18-mile boat ride was carried out by the famous ships: the Columbia, built in 1902, and the Ste. Pinterest. This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). [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). A street sign shows people where they are as they arrive on the island. This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. Bois Blanc Island, commonly called Boblo Island, is an island in the Detroit River on the Canadian side of the border and is part of Amherstburg Skip to content Menu In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. His legacy died when the company came in and took over the park. Its maybe a five-minute ride, no more than 10 minutes with the docking. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. My twin daughters, now 35, remember, but my son, 28, will never know. Yes, Kathy, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant is an easy walk. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. The park was sold but never got up and running again so all the rides and boats were sold. This is the remnants of an old putt-putt golf course. Rides, music, thrills, and lights attracted thousands of visitors year after year. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. . The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. 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. Look at Sugar Island.it once was a special place. . 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). See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. One of those blockhouses remains, and is open for touring. At about 34-square miles, the island is 12 miles long and six miles long. Bois Blanc Island was where Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a Native American warrior, decided to place his headquarters during the War of 1812. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. 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. - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. However, due to lack of demand, the park closed in 2001 and never reopened. 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). Why did Boblo Island shut down? We need to preserve what we have left, just for historys sake. Before July 30, 2011, my last visit to Bob-Lo had been in June of 1968. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. Cedar Point, which has world-famous roller coasters and a wider range of attractions, is close enough to the Detroit area for a day trip (for the very hardy). The island was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad to Canada, which worked to help escaped slaves leave the country. My favorite ride was the Log Ride, I thought it was the greatest thing of all time. About Boblo Island Amusement Park: 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. Please dont judge us without knowing us! Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. I remember going to Boblo Island when I was a child, having fun riding rides; our children will never be able to do that. A miniature railroad was built around the island in the 60s, along with a upgraded dock area. [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. 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. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers Most people just drive their vehicles onto the ferry from Amherstburg and are home in a few minutes. The men's entrance is to the left. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. 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. When you disembark from the ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area. 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! [28] However, a local housing slump meant little was developed. Why is it called Boblo Island? A new film tells us. 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. Other islands Ivevisited have their own historical societies or have joined with other nearby islands to form a historical society: Johnson Island Preservation Society, Lake Erie Islands Historical Society, St. Clair Flats Historical Society, Beaver Island Historical Society, the Grosse Ile Historical Society, and Friends of Bell Isle (now a part ofthe newBelle Isle Conservancy). Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. The price is a little over $300k. 10. Its sister. One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. 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. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. The 1991, the boats ceased their 81-year run, and the park closed in 1993. The island has quite an interesting history. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Twin villa homes on the north end of the island. Peaking through the windows, you can see it's being used for storage. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The place is oozing history. 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. 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. I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. For visitors based in Detroit, it was about 30 kilometers away and could be reached by ferry. The control room area through broken glass. [3] The company had claimed it could exclude her because it was a private concern operating in another country and that neither Michigan nor any other state had authority to regulate commerce with Canada (a foreign country); the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Michigan Supreme Court, which had upheld the jurisdiction of the state's anti-discrimination provisions and found against the company. During the Rebellion of 1837, "patriots" from the U.S. invaded the island in 1838. The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. 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. When Ste. War of 1812 potential left in this land this is the living space inside one of the three blockhouses! 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