That was in 1993. In 1958 the island was the site of joint Canadian-American war games, addressing a hostile force presence with amphibious units from around the Great Lakes. Required fields are marked *. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. [2], Though it was not looking for a buyer, the Michigan AAA sold Boblo Island in 1988 to the International Broadcasting Corporation, a Minneapolis-based concern that owned the Harlem Globetrotters and Ice Capades. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. The men's entrance is to the left. 1937 Technically, it was known as Eastwood Amusement Park, but nearly everyone called it Eastwood Park, or just Eastwood. The Columbia is undergoing restoration. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. 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. Once a landmark amusement park, Boblo Island is ready to essentially triple its current population through a new. Bois Blanc has been part of Canada since 1787. [32] The dance hall was the second largest in the world, holding 5,000 dancers at full capacity[31] and featured one of the world's largest orchestrions from the Welte company: a 16 foot tall, 14 foot wide, self-playing Wotan-model orchestrion with 419 pipes and percussion section. Boblo Island Amusement Park was a beloved amusement park that began operating in 1898 and ran for almost 100 years. Claire, seen in 2016. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! 2y Shelly Premer Neault Still closed. But the partnership soon dissolved into a clash of wills that led to the collapse of the amusement park and a bitter lawsuit. I loved going there as it was much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long. People quit coming in the 1980s, then the money for upkeep is not there. We also traveled from past to the present on the island, which was a must-visit destination for families for decades. All the passengers who had purchased round-trip tickets were comfortably aboardall, that is, but one. [5] The boats were sold off as a result of a decision to shutter operations at the Detroit dock. Colorful adirondack chairs surround a campfire pit near Captain Bob's. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. The goal of developers is to someday populate the entire island with neighborhoods. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society. Its a shame that Boblo Island had to close. 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. In the beginning it was a picnic spot with beaches, athletic fields, bicycle tracks, and a stunning Mangels-Illions carousel. The swan paddle boat ride was added in 1970, which became a fan favorite. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Opened in Orlando in 1976, River Country was Walt Disney's first waterpark. The homes come with all appliances. Your email address will not be published. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. 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. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. 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. . http://boblo.ca/. An estimated 30,000 people passed through the island on their way to freedom. Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. Touch device users . We are restoring one of Detroit's most iconic steamships, the Ste. One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. 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. I enjoyed BobLo so much as a child-we boarded the boats in Wyandotte. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. Since 1989, Kevin has collected miniature amusement park rides, and built a loose replica of Boblo Island in his home. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. Once the island closed, the boats sat abandoned for years. Sue Cicala. Before July 30, 2011, my last visit to Bob-Lo had been in June of 1968. Look at Sugar Island.it once was a special place. He enjoys suffering through Lions games on Sundays in the fall. Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. The restaurant just opened for the season on the 24th, this past Friday. The biggest surprise during my visit to Bob-Lo came from a different sort of stranger than the type Id been envisioning when I was watching the girls swim in the river. You do it for other people. 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. 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. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. In 1949, the island was threatened by bankruptcy. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. Rides, music, thrills, and lights attracted thousands of visitors year after year. The Whip was installed in 1920, which was a huge hit, essentially paying for itself. Everyone has a memory to tell. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. 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. The amusement park was so famous in its day that Henry Ford himself provided money for a Dance Hall to be built, designed by the architect John Scott. 10. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. 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. (Check out more Boblo history at BobloSteamers.com), Alex Atwell put together an awesome tour of the Ste. On that visit, the very air between the Wild Mouse and the Whip was fraught with hormones dancing to a Top Ten soundtrack which included Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and Grazing in the Grass.. Windsor Mayor Arthur John Reaume wanted the island to be designated a National Park. In 1991, those boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, Mich., to the island, as well as Amherstburg. 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. The ship in mid-swing. The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. The control room area through broken glass. You can also see the large stage and the curtain with big holes in it. [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. We live on the east shore of Grosse Ile, we would love to take our boat to eat at the restaurant. One to pick up, and one to return people. The existence of such an organization would certainly be complicated by the facts that 1) Bob-Lo is a Canadian island with an overbearing American past, and 2) today Bob-Lo primarily serves asa retreat for the wealthy, who I can imagine would not want people coming to visit the historical remains there,any more than they would want hunters (although if theyown a cat or a small dog, the latter might be welcome if they could take care of the coyote population). 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. 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. OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. I had the pleasure of delivering a load of stuffed animals to the Park in the early 1990s, was a trip i will never forget, driving my Freightliner truck and a 48 foot trailer onto the wharf to make the trip across the river in the middle of the night over to the island then driving around the the park, having to stop and wait for the park benches to be moved for me to able to get truck and trailer around the turns stopping here and there to off load these stuffed toys into little electric carts for the arcade games before the park opened the next day, Friday of a May 24 weekend. Boblo Island Amusement Park had its own custom version of bumper cars, known as Boblos Scootaboats. In 1949, bankruptcy threatened the island park. It is sad, Cheryl. They transformed the island into an amusement park, including a coaster, Ferris wheel, fun house and more. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. Hoffmeister and Friese had an agreement that established . I agree, Jennifer, very sad. 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). The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. During the Rebellion of 1837, "patriots" from the U.S. invaded the island in 1838. . 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. The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. Such a sad and difficult ending to such a WONDERFUL PLACE. I dont think it is sad at all! Boblo Island was very special. Pinterest. We also traveled. | 5401 Woodward, Detroit, MI 48202. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. When was the last time yousailed down the Detroit River toBob-Lo Island, to summertime? The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. BOBLO Island poster. Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. A miniature railroad was built around the island in the 60s, along with a upgraded dock area. The Detroit River in August 2015, we would love to take boat. 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