nice article on Boblo Island

**Vic01** · July-06-14, 01:14 AM

"For 96 summer seasons, Boblo Island delighted millions of Detroiters who arrived by a romantic steamship sail to enjoy the amusement park, concerts and rides that soared above the Detroit River.

Now the Canadian island is under development as an upscale residential and resort community known as “Bob-Lo Island.” The old favorite is gradually emerging as a hot spot for fresh memories and new adventures, accessible via a 4-minute ferry ride that launches from the Canadian side.
Though privately owned, Boblo Island is open to the public. There’s no carnival midway anymore, but once you roll off the ferry, you can drive by ritzy homes and mini-manses. Park your car near the island’s restaurant and ice cream shop to walk along Boblo’s signature buildings. The island’s south end is closed to cars, but it’s a short walk along meadows and on dirt roads to a lighthouse, a restored British Army blockhouse and a sandy slip of a beach with picnic tables and a volleyball net".

http://www.freep.com/article/2014070...053/1001/rss01

**Smirnoff** · July-06-14, 07:44 AM

The development has been in motion for the past 20-years.....to pay $20 for the ferry ride to "roll off the ferry, you can drive by ritzy homes and mini-manses". Even creative staff writing won't help this cause, sorry.....

Oh...., I get it: Pay for a passport, then pay to cross the bridge/tunnel, then pay the ferry, to drive by homes? What an adventure, even amusement rides didn't work, but apparently homes will.....next.

**douglasm** · July-06-14, 07:50 AM

I can't find the article right off, but I read that the dance hall is up for sale. There a Windsor Star video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjSE3XLA8N0

**Scottathew** · July-06-14, 07:52 AM

There is no compelling reason for me to go to Boblo Island.

This article should be about the redevelopment of the island, not "day-tripping" to it. The thought of my family traveling to Boblo Island is laughable.

**Cliffy** · July-06-14, 09:56 AM

Yeah this article was a joke. I mean go out and drive around homes and then go home... You might as well go to Grosse Isle.

**Django** · July-06-14, 10:04 AM

I was never on Boblo Island. I remember our parents talking about going before it closed down but we never made it. My question is where did the Boblo boats disembark? Ive been to the old Boblo maintenance building on Fort near Central, which btw is a very interesting building to explore, and I wonder if that's where you caught the boat?

**warsaw7** · July-06-14, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by Django

I was never on Boblo Island. I remember our parents talking about going before it closed down but we never made it. My question is where did the Boblo boats disembark? Ive been to the old Boblo maintenance building on Fort near Central, which btw is a very interesting building to explore, and I wonder if that's where you caught the boat?

I remember catching one of the boats in Gibraltar, somewhere off of West Jefferson. Also was anyone able to view the pictures? When I tried to access the pictures, a pop up appeared asking me for my user name and password.

**Vic01** · July-06-14, 11:35 AM

I wasn't suggesting that it was the best value for a family trip, and as far as "drive around homes" it said to park your car, then get out and walk... I was simply pointing out the history [[not the mansions/homes) mentioned in the article. The remaining buildings, lighthouse and British fort/blockhouse sound worth seeing to me. I agree the costs of the trip are high, but if you're over there anyway and enjoy history, you could add this.

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-06-14, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Django

I was never on Boblo Island. I remember our parents talking about going before it closed down but we never made it. My question is where did the Boblo boats disembark? Ive been to the old Boblo maintenance building on Fort near Central, which btw is a very interesting building to explore, and I wonder if that's where you caught the boat?

They had a terminal north of Cobo Hall and south of the Ford Auditorium and the "lovely" Robin Hood Flour silos.

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-06-14, 12:14 PM

This link has a photo of the old terminal. It is the building with the arched openings mid way to the flour silos.

http://olddetroitphotos.com/p636.html

**Django** · July-07-14, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

This link has a photo of the old terminal. It is the building with the arched openings mid way to the flour silos.

http://olddetroitphotos.com/p636.html

That pic looks so much like the building Im speaking of minus the silos but it says is was just East of where the Ren Cen would have been. The building I spek of would be West on Fort.

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-07-14, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by Django

That pic looks so much like the building Im speaking of minus the silos but it says is was just East of where the Ren Cen would have been. The building I spek of would be West on Fort.

Later on, the embarkation point was moved down river by Fort Street. I only took one trip from that location as part of a DTE event. So my memories of the buildings are non-existent.

For me, watching those triple expansions steam engines in action was the best part of the ride.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-07-14, 07:25 AM

The Boblo Building at the foot of Clark was never used by Boblo. It was a storage building for freight and goods to be shipped [[by ship!). It happened to be next to the Nicholson terminal yard that Boblo DID use.

Prior to that, the Boblo Boats left from the Atwater Street turn across from the Joe Louis Arena. In the mid-1980's that area was booming with the new Riverfront apartments, the Construction of the People Mover, and it was time for them to go. It was too bad because the City lost a fair amount of parking revenue that would use the Joe Louis garage. Imagine of the passenger rail was actually extended to the garage, why with the people mover and the Boblo boats it would be a true intermodal people connection!

Prior to the construction of Hart Plaza the boats were docked at the foot of Woodward.

**jackie5275** · July-07-14, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

The Boblo Building at the foot of Clark was never used by Boblo. It was a storage building for freight and goods to be shipped [[by ship!). It happened to be next to the Nicholson terminal yard that Boblo DID use.

Are you sure about that? I could swear that I went to Bob-Lo in the early 90s and boarded the boat at Clark St.

**Honky Tonk** · July-07-14, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

Are you sure about that? I could swear that I went to Bob-Lo in the early 90s and boarded the boat at Clark St.

I'm dead positive I did. I remember parking the car on Jefferson and walking into Detroit Marine Terminal where the Boblo boats were docked. This was just after the "Ethnic Festivals" came to Hart Plaza. Had to be in the late 80's.

**XDetroitr** · July-07-14, 12:52 PM

The boats used to stop at Wyandotte's Bishop Park until the mid to late 70's. I remember as a child in the 60's, there would be a band playing as you boarded to boat. Good memories...

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-07-14, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I'm dead positive I did. I remember parking the car on Jefferson and walking into Detroit Marine Terminal where the Boblo boats were docked. This was just after the "Ethnic Festivals" came to Hart Plaza. Had to be in the late 80's.

I believe that both of you are correct. The DTE excursion did not pass under the Ambassador Bridge. That was around 1990.

My late father mentioned that he used to board it where the ethnic festivals used to be held after it moved from the location by the foot of Woodward.

The DTE excursion was the first time I had been on the boat since 1975.

**Honky Tonk** · July-07-14, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

I believe that both of you are correct. The DTE excursion did not pass under the Ambassador Bridge. That was around 1990.

My late father mentioned that he used to board it where the ethnic festivals used to be held after it moved from the location by the foot of Woodward.

The DTE excursion was the first time I had been on the boat since 1975.

I'm not sure what the DTE excursion was. The one instance I can remember, it was a date, and she was concerned I left my car parked on Jefferson. [[along with 200 other people) As we headed towards the Boblo boats, I remember thinking, with all the room around this area, parking the boats there was a good idea. I'm not sure how many years they were parked there. A few years later, you had to drive to Gibraltar, and catch a smaller tour-type boat to get to Bob-lo Island.

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-07-14, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I'm not sure what the DTE excursion was. The one instance I can remember, it was a date, and she was concerned I left my car parked on Jefferson. [[along with 200 other people) As we headed towards the Boblo boats, I remember thinking, with all the room around this area, parking the boats there was a good idea. I'm not sure how many years they were parked there. A few years later, you had to drive to Gibraltar, and catch a smaller tour-type boat to get to Bob-lo Island.

My father was a DTE retiree and the company chartered the boat for a company picnic. We figured that would be a last hurrah.

A friend of my father was a wheelsman on one of the boats in the 1960s.

I liked the ride better than the island. The best ride was when a sinking had closed the Saint Mary's river, so that a lot up bound of ships had to anchor in the Detroit River. This was in the 1970s when we had a grain deal with the Soviets. Man, those Russian ships are ugly brutes.

**Honky Tonk** · July-07-14, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

My father was a DTE retiree and the company chartered the boat for a company picnic. We figured that would be a last hurrah.

A friend of my father was a wheelsman on one of the boats in the 1960s.

I liked the ride better than the island. The best ride was when a sinking had closed the Saint Mary's river, so that a lot up bound of ships had to anchor in the Detroit River. This was in the 1970s when we had a grain deal with the Soviets. Man, those Russian ships are ugly brutes.

Were you around when the Montrose hit a Peerless Cement barge, and sank, [[well, as far as it could) in the Detroit River?

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-07-14, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Were you around when the Montrose hit a Peerless Cement barge, and sank, [[well, as far as it could) in the Detroit River?

When was that?

I left I 1985

And my brain is going bad. I meant the Saint Claire River and the ship was the Sidney Smith.

article about it:

http://images.maritimehistoryofthegr....ca/60963/data

**Honky Tonk** · July-08-14, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

When was that?

I left I 1985

And my brain is going bad. I meant the Saint Claire River and the ship was the Sidney Smith.

article about it:

http://images.maritimehistoryofthegr....ca/60963/data

Here's a good news clip about the incident. It happened in 1962. As you can see in the clip, the Boblo boats passed pretty close to the Montrose, making for an even more exciting trip to the island.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmEheY0RZo

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-08-14, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Here's a good news clip about the incident. It happened in 1962. As you can see in the clip, the Boblo boats passed pretty close to the Montrose, making for an even more exciting trip to the island.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmEheY0RZo

I would have been three years old at that time. However, one of my mother's scrap books has a picture of cranes on a barge tending to a sunken ship in the Detroit River. And back in those days, because my father was a former lake sailor, he would drive downtown to look at all the boats. So I suspect that my mother did take a picture of that wreck.

Neat little tidbit about Chuckie O'Brian in that video.