[16] Moodenbaugh later sued Benaroya and others for attempting to sell the park while he lay in a "virtual coma". Riding the Rotor at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh in 1955. The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. Today it is overgrown: The Powerhouse, which looks like small limestone chapel, that provided electricityto the Carousel: The Dance Pavilion a 35,000 feet steel and limestone building designed by Albert Kahn and John Scott and completed in 1913. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. I can forward them to you if you would like. The price is a little over $300k. This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. [32], Boblo's Scootaboats, which were very similar to well known Bumper Cars, were a popular ride. It is completely grown over with weeds and trees. Its too bad they couldnt have it ready for this year to celebrate its 100th anniversary. 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.. The plan is to restore it and have it run in the Hudson River Valley. Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. Many locals still have great memories riding the ferry to Boblo Island Amusement Park, which eventually. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. This is the remnants of an old putt-putt golf course. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. 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. . The non-French residents called it Boblo, and the name was officially accepted in 1949. A tri-plex home. Would love to know more about your experience working on the Bob-Lo boats. . 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 little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. For more excitement there was the Whip, Wild Mouse, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Dodgeem Cars. Just read one of the many postcards you can find online from people back in the day. The island was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad to Canada, which worked to help escaped slaves leave the country. The Boblo Island amusement park closed in the 1990s after a century of operation. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. It was one of the most popular places to dance in the 1920s. [28] However, a local housing slump meant little was developed. Thank you again for the information. I am so sad every time I think about Bob Lo. These luxury dwellings were erected. I wouldnt identify the owners in this suburban retreat as millionaires, but the island has been many things to many people over the centuries: the Ojibwe, the Ottawa, the Potawatomi, and the Wyandot all used the island before it was christened Bois Blanc. Later it was: a camp for European explorers, the site of a French Catholic mission, within reach of a British fort, headquarters for the Shawnee chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812, an invasion site for Canadian patriots during the Upper Canada Rebellion, and more recently, a picnic spot and a dance venue, all before the rise and decline of the amusement park. After 85 years of operation, these two sister steamships - the oldest in America - awaken from a deep slumber to find a devoted team of enthusiasts have set out to rescue them from their deteriorating state. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. The north side of Boblo is a growing private community, with numerous homes and condominiums. . Electric Park was the dream-come-true of Arthur C. Gaukler, a. [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. Not fair to blame millionaires when often it is a corporation that can run out money after 5 or 6 bad years. The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. The audio journey to Mars is etched in my brain! I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrews Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. The island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. Michelle, I interpret Roys use of the phrase mega-millionaires as being in service of describing the island developers, not the residents. Colorful picnic tables near Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. The 375-foot Sky Tower, rusting and visible from the Powerhouse and most of the island, as well as from other locations on the river like Grosse Ile: And a few other buildings, like the open one that may have housed the dodgem cars built in 1928, and another with more shattered windows, the Souvenir building. The place is oozing history. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. 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). It was just announced in The Windsor Star that the dance pavilion is now for sale. Did you work on both the SS Ste. The sociology of unemployment - Tom Boland 2015-07-01 The sociology of unemployment is an analysis of the experience and governance of unemployment. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. Both vessels are bound for Boblo Island. Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin is located on the western shore of Boblo Island, and is open for residents and visitors from Thursday through Sunday. 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 . Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. Obscured in a small wooded area between the Dance Pavilion and the Terminal are the remains of the minature golf course: Consider this: I did not see another person during my entire afternoon exploration of the historic sites on the island, except for three young teenage girls I observed leaving the Resorts community pool and making their way down to the river alone, to the channel between Bob-Lo and Amherstburg, where, nestled next to the Terminal, is a very small sand beach where they swam. when was the last day of this park operated (i mean the last summur )when it was open for public for the last and until what day was the ferry or the steamer making trip, and can you visit it now. It was great to see all the vintage photos and stories from the good old days of classic boating when wooden boats were the norm, not the exception. I would bring back the lost souls and add life to the island again. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. The homes come with all appliances. Though not all is lost. [29], The tower for the Space Needle ride was demolished in 2021, with Amicone citing "health and safety concerns". Some recent activity indicates this one might be saved. 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. Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. He enjoys suffering through Lions games on Sundays in the fall. You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. [4], IBC declared bankruptcy in 1991. The rides were sold in 1994, but as we discovered via YouTube, a number of the park's structures still stand on the island. - Brandon, I am 73 years old and remember my parents taking me to Bob-Lo after picking me up at Willow Run Airport after a visit with relatives in Miami FL when I was 8 years old. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. By Edward Pevos of MLive - epevos@MLive.com. 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. Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. In the distance is a building featuring dozens of condos. Its maybe a five-minute ride, no more than 10 minutes with the docking. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. 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. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse built in 1836; its lamp room was destroyed in 1954 when vandals started a fire. [26] KPMG found there was no money left to continue supplying basic services. Twin villa homes on the north end of the island. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. what a fun and exciting place. A private community is now being built on the island. You do it for other people. Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. Only a few buildings and the sky tower structure still stand. Most of the homes on the island also come with a large amount of property. Valentine and Sons United Publishing Company - This image is part of the Canadian Copyright Collection held by the British Library, and has been digitized as part of the "Picturing Canada" project. It is a wonderful place with beautiful heritage and history, that is why I chose to live here. More than a century later, in the 1920s, the amusement park opened on the sitethen closed in 1966 after the accidental deaths of two young patrons, including one on the spooky circular swing. - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. The 106-year-old classic excursion steamer Ste. These people had no clue whatsoever as to the history of Detroit, or of Bob-Lo. Peaking through the windows, you can see it's being used for storage. 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. This is private property and the doors are chain locked. Anyone . The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. Feb 11, 2022 - One of my favorite memories as a child. . The haunting pictures show graffiti, decrepit rides, and overgrown greenery. Its a shame that Boblo Island had to close. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). A sign leads residents and visitors to dining venues and the marina on Boblo Island. Families need to be brought back together and enjoy their children once again. The park closed in 1996 after several personal injury lawsuits were filed against it. [1], The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. The old Dance Hall sits majestically abandoned on the center of the island. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. There are two total bedrooms in this home. 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. 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. The Sky Streak Ride, for example, was moved to Selva Magica, a theme park in Mexico, and the Nightmare was initially moved to Six Flags Houston where it was known as the Mayan Mindbender, only to be moved once again to a theme park in Amarillo, Texas. Loved going to Bob-Lo as a kid. 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