Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. By 1910 the first amusement park rides, the carousel, ponies and a dancing pavillion were available. The kitchen and dining space of the tri-plex. After the short ferry ride, residents simply drive right onto the island onto Boblo Island Blvd. At about 34-square miles, the island is 12 miles long and six miles long. Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. [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. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. The Boblo Island boat, S.S. Ste Claire, was destroyed on Friday morning after a massive fire on the ship. Windsor Mayor Arthur John Reaume wanted the island to be designated a National Park. I know the kids and people of this generation are definitely looking forward to more developments. He previously worked for Ringling Brothers Circus and captivated children with adventurous tales and knock-knock jokes until his retirement in 1974, at the age of 90. [5] The boats were sold off as a result of a decision to shutter operations at the Detroit dock. I, too, went there every year as a child from Detroit. . The men's entrance is to the left. The subdivision consists of a loop of a street containing a court within the loop. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. You can also see the large stage and the curtain with big holes in it. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. I agree. Interestingly, the islands history starts long before the amusement park was even planned. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans owns the deteriorating dock, which once served as a gateway for ferry passengers heading to the former Boblo Island amusement park. The swan paddle boat ride was added in 1970, which became a fan favorite. This house is 2,040 square feet with a full basement. Is there a safe dock area, in which to leave our boat-(also Draft/depth) info .Is there a dock fee? The rides were sold to other amusement parks around the country. The price is a little over $300k. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. A tri-plex home. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). Claire was engulfed in an accidental fire while docked on the Detroit River on July 6, 2018. The place just went completely downhill. 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. Each held about 2,500 passengers. 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). Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. You support the mega millionaires who dont care about anything else in life except their bank accounts. [19] He vaguely proposed a casino, hotel, and other development. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. 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. [16] Moodenbaugh later sued Benaroya and others for attempting to sell the park while he lay in a "virtual coma". [1] Other smaller ferries served the park from Amherstburg and Gibraltar, Michigan, which were located closer to the park on the Detroit River. The park was sold but never got up and running again so all the rides and boats were sold. - Sally. [25], American investors were scared away after the September 11 attacks, which hurt the financial outlook for the development. 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. How to get to Boblo Island: 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. What a shame, all gone because some mega millionaires wanted more money. People can dock their private boats there, or take a four-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario. We also traveled. 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.. http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/ (Sorry, you may need to copy and paste the website addresses above; my link feature is not successfully linking at the moment. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. For 19 years, the site has been abandoned, with many rides left to battle corrosion and plant life. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse built in 1836; its lamp room was destroyed in 1954 when vandals started a fire. The Nightmare (ride), Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak and Screamer were the signature rides. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The company was busy during the week, moving people and goods up and down the river. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. These homes are 1,250 square feet on the sides, 1,625 in the middle. It's a place for those looking to surround themselves with nature, including the more than 50 different species of birds. Your email address will not be published. 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 . Claire, built in 1910. Claire and the SS Columbia? A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. - Kathy G. We kids were able to run up and down the stairs on the boat and go to the dance floor. People quit coming in the 1980s, then the money for upkeep is not there. In the beginning it was a picnic spot with beaches, athletic fields, bicycle tracks, and a stunning Mangels-Illions carousel. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. [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. 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. Ive always wondered about the island and have wanted to go back. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). 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). These luxury dwellings were erected. The Columbia is undergoing restoration. So sad. Bois Blanc is known regionally as the former home of the Boblo Island Amusement Park, which began operation in 1898 and closed on September 30, 1993. Claire, seen in 2016. The haunting pictures show graffiti, decrepit rides, and overgrown greenery. Which theme park has the most deaths? Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of. Residents of the small community live among acres and acres of nature, just steps from water. 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. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. Bois Blanc Island, former site of the Bob-Lo Island amusement park, is located at southern endof the DetroitRiver before it enters Lake Erie,and is about one-half mile wide and three miles long. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. The beautiful wood flooring should never have been ripped out. They operated a Rotor in West Germany at Oktoberfest in 1949. 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. For more excitement there was the Whip, Wild Mouse, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Dodgeem Cars. Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. Since 1989, Kevin has collected miniature amusement park rides, and built a loose replica of Boblo Island in his home. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. The boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. Boblo Island Amusement Park was an amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Is it an easy walk to the restaurant on the west side from the ferry dock? During the Rebellion of 1837, "patriots" from the U.S. invaded the island in 1838. Two years later, very little had been done.[34]. Gloomy days sometimes deserve black and white treatment. [1] Screamer, a double corkscrew; Nightmare, an indoor all-dark ride; and Sky Streak, a steel out-and-back design, were its three roller coasters. This is a small area of the white sand beach open to residents of Boblo Island. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. The island was situated between Detroit and Canada, but for a Michigander to visit, you had to cross the Canadian border.usually by one of the Boblo ferry boats. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. The control room area through broken glass. The definitive history of Bob-lo Island, a Canadian amusement park in the mouth of the Detroit River and a favorite recreation spot for generations of Detroit-area residents. There are just two ways in and out of the island. The island is now a residential community. 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. Just read one of the many postcards you can find online from people back in the day. In 1991, the two Boblo boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, MI., to the island, as well as to and from Amherstburg, Ontario. 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. It was just announced in The Windsor Star that the dance pavilion is now for sale. What a wonderful goal, Andrew! Its too bad they couldnt have it ready for this year to celebrate its 100th anniversary. These are some of the many doors leading to the inside of the old Dance Hall. The living space of the Deerview twin villas. With probably more than a bit of clean-up and reconstruction, it would make a wonderful venue for a wedding reception!!! It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. Located at the mouth of the Detroit River, which . Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. To rebuild would be one of lifes pleasures. People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. The British also built a lighthouse in 1836 which operated until 1959. It is a wonderful place with beautiful heritage and history, that is why I chose to live here. Once used to illuminate the amusement park rides, and a stunning Mangels-Illions carousel massive fire on the and... Are left from the ferry dock their bank accounts being adequately protected gone are the roller coasters, but are. 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