The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. 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. 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 agree, Jennifer, very sad. The children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when we were children. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 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. On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The last summer that Bob-Lo operated as an amusement park was almost two decades ago: 1993. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. People from all over Michigan, Canada and from as far away as California, have chosen to make Boblo Island their home. The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. The Bobl-Lo Island of today? Very little remains, physically, of the amusement park attractions, but what we did find is fascinating, as you'll see in the link below. In 1949, the island was threatened by bankruptcy. On the far side of the ride, people wait in line. Michelle, I interpret Roys use of the phrase mega-millionaires as being in service of describing the island developers, not the residents. Only one blockhouse remains today. The swan paddle boat ride was added in 1970, which became a fan favorite. More waterfront dining. wayne hills high school marching band; code postal ariana borj louzir; homes for sale on cary drive auburn, al 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. We visited Boblo Island 23 years after its amusement park closed - mlive Whatever happened to Boblo Island? (Detroit, Grosse Ile: amusement Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. Locate and compare Service d'ambulance in Mersea ON, Yellow Pages Local Listings. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society. 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. Boblo Boats: A Detroit Fairy Tale One of the many residential homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario, seen Wednesday, July 27, 2016. 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. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. Barb's Boblo Tavern. The place is oozing history. People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. 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. . It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. [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). It's docked in New York. Really sad. 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. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). [30], The Falling Star, log flume, Enterprise, Sky Tower (Space Needle), Ferris wheel, a zoo, and a carousel were the signature attractions. - Bonnie, Oh! Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. Can you go over to the island any time? Purchasing a home on Boblo Island? Remember, the island is in Canada, so you can't just cross over from the U.S. and dock there. Ive been talking to friends who also loved Boblo and I am going to do further study. The kitchen and dining space of the tri-plex. 272 acres. The Boblo Island Detroit dock building can be seen on the Detroit, Michigan side of the Detroit River. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. bobloisland photos on Flickr | Flickr Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. [2] Bob-Lo Island Ghosts - Great Lakes Island Escapes [27] Dominic Amicone became the new owner in 2005. The island was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad to Canada, which worked to help escaped slaves leave the country. Plant life around the old Space Needle observation tower. Why did Boblo Island close? 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). Particularly down at White Sands beach below the Lighthouse (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33535417@N05/4112593095/), where two boats were anchored during my visit to the south end of the island with a large group of partying young people. The Carousel Building, built in 1905 to house the first amusement ride on Bob-Lo Island, served as a convention hall and later, the roller-skating rink (beginning with the 1940 season) before ending up as a theater. My twin daughters, now 35, remember, but my son, 28, will never know. I enjoyed BobLo so much as a child-we boarded the boats in Wyandotte. [19] He vaguely proposed a casino, hotel, and other development. Claire, seen in 2016. 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 man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. DETROIT Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. Claire provided . The fire could not be contained and destroyed the historic mahogany woodwork and upper decks. A tri-plex home. Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. [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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. Save. Residents of the small community live among acres and acres of nature, just steps from water. I dont think it is sad at all! Officially, Bob-Lo Island is now billed as a Marina Resort Community, but Bob-Lo currently exhibits the most profound split personality of any islandperhaps any placeIve ever been. Boblo was originally named Bois Blanc by the French, but residents couldn't pronounce the name. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. Each held about 2,500 passengers. Heres an article that was in this past Sundays Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development Speaking of Sugar Island, have you heard, as of last year, theres now a public beach there? Boblo Island enthusiast wants memories for book - FOX 2 Detroit The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. [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 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. Hundreds of small amusement parks went out in 1980s as families all went to super amusement parks like Cedar Point and Six Flags and did not visit small ones often. When you disembark from the ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area. Anyone can go on the island via the ferry for a fee of $10 round-trip, but Boblo isn't a typical tourist destination. Given that the island was known as the Boblo Island Amusement Park from 1898 1993, Id say, overall, it was a pretty successful run. Why not this man who gave everyone joy in life with their families? Enjoy Im glad you made this comment. [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. [Meta] Sticky Comment. Presented in the name of the border cities of Detroit, Windsor, and Amherstburg. Opened in 1898, Boblo Island was one of North America's. One step on the old dock, and I saw an old run-down white platform, no life, no care in worldlike everyone was evacuated and told not to come back. [24] The island was off limits to non-residents until 2002. Find the best offers for your search boblo island. Thank you again!! [2], The State of Michigan brought a racial discrimination case against the operators of the ferry service. [7] Though one expert felt that Boblo was too big to fail outright and could be turned around,[8] By June, however, no firm offers had been made for the park. Unfortunately, my search came up empty. 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 Ste. I can only imagine the dangers of the dilapidated buildings, to say nothing of concerns about strangers. St. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. The company had just been sold to a group from Texas who ran a small park. why did boblo island close - ultimaterealestatecalculator.com The middle section of the island was developed as a park. Thank you again for the information. Well later that same summer (1972) I went with 2 of my brothers, one older and one younger with our Mother. It was on a small island in the Detroit River at the mouth of Lake Erie. 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 control room area through broken glass. 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.. why did boblo island close - kkdhandapaniworldschool.org The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. My favorite ride was the Log Ride, I thought it was the greatest thing of all time. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. Departing from the foot of Woodward Avenue, whereHart Plazais now, theColumbiaandSte. why did boblo island closeconservation international ceo. The first thing I did when I got back home was to search for a Bob-Lo Historical Society on the Internet. 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. 2,000. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. My husband is on the Grosse Ile Historical Society BoardI have pictures of Sugar Island in its heyday. Boblo Island in Amherstburg ready for business | CTV News The restaurant is open to residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. - Kathy G. We kids were able to run up and down the stairs on the boat and go to the dance floor. Boblo Island was very special. 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 story of Boblo Island - WDIV The homes come with all appliances. [11] Roger Fachini, a 40-year-old engineer for General Dynamics and owner of a waterpark in Utica, Michigan, placed the winning $3.8 million bid and proposed redevelopment after two years,[12][13] but Boblo's creditors turned it down; after the deposit cheque bounced, they took $600,000 less in the bid from Enchanted Parks of Seattle, owners of the Wild Waves Theme Park near that city. Its very sad because growing up that was all everyone talked about was Boblo Island, and all the amazing memories. It was in a time when the parents didn''t have to worry about the children. I grew up visiting the island and Im hoping to return to explore it again someday. The ships ferried people to the Boblo Island amusement park on the Detroit River for 89 years until they ceased operation in 1991. 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. 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. Morale among the employees both on the Boats and the Island was at an all-time low according to some veteran workers. "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. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. The park has been closed since 1993 DETROIT - Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. This year, I hear theres an ice cream concession, Captain Bobs on the island (http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit). - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. It is sad, Cheryl. Boblo Island is preparing to greet more than 200 new residents with construction soon to begin and new roads in the south end of the island recently completed . Boblo island Properties - Mitula Homes When did Boblo boat stop running? [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. The island features many new homes and plenty of land to build on. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. An island in Amherstburg, Ont. - Sally. 3 F 1 1/2. Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. "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.". Did you work on both the SS Ste. Ex-MSU dean sues interim president for leading alleged plot to remove him. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. Bois Blanc Island was where Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a Native American warrior, decided to place his headquarters during the War of 1812. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. in subculturing, when do you use the inoculating loop cactus allergy symptoms I know had I been related to this man, I would have kept his memory alive. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Boblo Island today: Without Michael's approval the park was closed, the rides sold off, dismantled and shipped away. Visit Boblo.ca for information about living on the island. why did boblo island close. In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. I found this very useful for Information! Boblo Island (correct name: Bois Blanc) is an island in the Detroit River on the Canadian side of the border and is part of Amherstburg, Ontario. Boblo Island memories never fade - The News Herald