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.. He's been with WDIV since 2013. It opened in 1898 as Boblo Island Amusement Park on Bois Blanc Island (not the Bois Blanc up near Mackinac Island, but the one on the Detroit River). The tiny island is located in the middle of the East River, parallel to Manhattan's East 46th to 85th Streets. Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. The man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. DETROITAny Michigander of a certain vintage won't forget their giddiness en route to Boblo Island amusement park, a carefree ferry ride from Detroit's metropolis to a land that seemed a world away. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide - just 272 acres. [1] Other smaller ferries served the park from Amherstburg and Gibraltar, Michigan, which were located closer to the park on the Detroit River. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. [1], The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. It's sister boat, the Columbia, was built in 1902. Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. All the passengers who had purchased round-trip tickets were comfortably aboardall, that is, but one. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. 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. These gleeful youngsters certainly seem amused on a ride at Eastwood, at the northeast corner of Eight Mile Road and . 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. We toured the Ste Claire in 2015 while restoration efforts were ongoing before fire gutted it on July 6, 2018. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. The haunting pictures show graffiti, decrepit rides, and overgrown greenery. The price is a little over $300k. I loved going there as it was much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long. . After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. 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. Our world today, especially with the pandemic, needs what we all once had back in this society. It is a wonderful place with beautiful heritage and history, that is why I chose to live here. Many locals still have great memories riding the ferry to Boblo Island Amusement Park, which eventually. As a child I went to Bob-Lo Island every summer from the Detroit Side of the island. 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 . Why not this man who gave everyone joy in life with their families? Yes, Kathy, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant is an easy walk. Known as Boblo Amusement Park, it was wildly popular with American tourists throughout much of the 20th century until it closed in 1993. i need a boblo island abandoned amusement park date pic . Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. The Boblo Island boat, S.S. Ste Claire, was destroyed on Friday morning after a massive fire on the ship. On the south side of the road leading from the ferry dock is a five-story condominium: Between the river and the condominium is a trail which heads south along the islands perimeter and allows a walker orbicyclist to view a number of historical structures, including the Sailors Monument, which still graces the eastern shore of the island: The commemorative plaque affixed to the Sailors Monument reads: Dedicated to 134 years of American-Canadian friendship across 4500 miles of unfortified border, protected only by the mutual respect and understanding one nation holds for the other. A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. The abandoned amusement park was a p. Its sad that my kids will never be able to go there and ride the same rides I did as a kid. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The Whip was installed in 1920, which was a huge hit, essentially paying for itself. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Only one blockhouse remains today. The boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. Claire. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. A retreat for the wealthy, amidst dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of the past, with nature ever encroaching. This is what the more than 100-year old steamer looked like a few years ago. BOBLO Island poster. The place just went completely downhill. what a fun and exciting place. I am only 12. The initial attractions of the island were . 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. A company called Premier Parks acquired the classic amusement park in 1995. While incapacitated in hospital, he lost legal control of island. Some recent activity indicates this one might be saved. the building is not secure, given that one-quarter of a large window in the front is broken in, metal strips hanging from its frame. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. Ive always wondered about the island and have wanted to go back. Bois Blanc has been part of Canada since 1787. If you are adventurous and don't mind a difficult climb, you can make a reservation (months in advance) and enter the crown. I was just in Amherstburg Sunday May 27,2013. From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). [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). We dont save anything for history any more. You know what I think, I have never been over there. Neither will my grandchildren. . Well later that same summer (1972) I went with 2 of my brothers, one older and one younger with our Mother. Claire or the Columbia, but no cellphone cameras documented that embarkation and carrying a Kodak Instamatic simply would not have been cool. Everyone has a memory to tell. Over four decades, later, on July 30, 2011, I spent an afternoon on Bob-Lo. 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. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. The island is owned nearly in its entirety by Windsor developer Dominic Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island development company. The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. I just kayaked to Boblo Island today, and I saw so much potential left in this land. Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park. [1] The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. 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). For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. The homes come with all appliances. Claire V can fit up to 16 vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. Ray was there to celebrate her graduation from secretarial school with her classmates. Located at the mouth of the Detroit River, which . One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . The kitchen and dining space of the tri-plex. The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. "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.". You can visit the island now, as I did in July of 2011 (all the photos accompanying the blog posting above were taken on that visit), by taking a small car ferry across a narrow strip of the Detroit River from the Bob-Lo Discovery Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. ), Thank you so much for the great information. 2023 Detroit Historical Society. [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. I dont think it is sad at all! - Kathy G. We kids were able to run up and down the stairs on the boat and go to the dance floor. Boblo Island now boasts deluxe houses and condos, valued from $184,000 to $1.15 million, with walk-out basements and turreted views of the Detroit River. Only about a third of a milea 5 to 10-minute walk, depending on your speedfrom the ferry dock on the west side of the island, east on Bob-Lo Island Boulevard, to the marina on the other side of the narrow island. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. The fire could not be contained and destroyed the historic mahogany woodwork and upper decks. In fact didn''t go as much as I would of liked to. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. Watch. 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. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers. It is not fair that these people can just take away the little bit of history we have left just so they can watch their bank accounts rise. For visitors based in Detroit, it was about 30 kilometers away and could be reached by ferry. Places like fort custer, MI and fort sheridan, illinois, all sold to profiteers. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. On the far side of the ride, people wait in line. Claire was engulfed in an accidental fire while docked on the Detroit River on July 6, 2018. 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