Belle Isle Pleasure Boat

**DetroitZack** · December-23-09, 05:44 PM

I thought you guys would be interested in seeing this old postcard that I purchased today. Pay special attention to the clothing!

The back reads "BELLE ISLE PLEASURE BOAT, A favorite method of access to Belle Isle, Detroit's principal pleasure ground, is by steamer, and boats leave regularly from convenient wharves, for the big pier at "The Island." The scene shows one of the large steamers of the Detroit, Belle Isle and Windsor Ferry Co., leaving the foot of Woodward Avenue for Belle Isle, band playing and picknickers thronging the decks."

Stosh · December-23-09, 06:43 PM

What was the name of this boat?

**Whitehouse** · December-23-09, 07:40 PM

Found this picture on flickr

The caption reads: "Circa 1906. "Belle Isle Park ferry dock, Detroit." The steamer Garland at the dock. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative.
"
I'm more or less certain it's the same dock and even think it's the same boat before a massive update. The name is on the lower half about 10 meters from the bow. On he coloured picture you can faintly see the name as well and if I'm not mistaken that also reads "Garland" .

Same picture MONSTER SIZE!!!

Also found some picture of the Bo-Blo St.Claire. Judging from the on-board pictures she actually looks quite decent.

Stosh · December-23-09, 07:46 PM

It's not the same boat. The postcard has the name of the ship below the 3rd rib from the front of the boat.It's not the Garland, but I can't read it from the scan. Major differences in the ship. It's almost like the Boblo boat in style and shape. The Garland that is in the photo is wider and only 2 decks. Not likely that they would have stripped it down to rebuild it.

Stosh · December-23-09, 07:50 PM

It's probably this boat, the Promise.

**Whitehouse** · December-23-09, 07:52 PM

Still not the same upper structure. We now seem to have three different boats.

Here's another picture of the "Promise".

Here's another pic of that mistery steamer.

What's that name on the wheelhouse? Is that the name of the boat or some commercial message?

Stosh · December-23-09, 08:04 PM

Name of the boat, looks like the Pleasure. But the Pleasure's top deck didn't extend out that far. Artistic license?

**Whitehouse** · December-23-09, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Name of the boat, looks like the Pleasure. But the Pleasure's top deck didn't extend out that far. Artistic license?

I beg to differ. There has indeed been an update. I found this picture.

Caption reads: The Tashmoo, at right behind the dock, and a sister cruise ship Promise at the foot of Woodward.

So with an extended upper deck.

And this must be a major oops....

Stosh · December-23-09, 08:24 PM

Promise at the dock:

Stosh · December-23-09, 08:26 PM

Pleasure at the dock:

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/de...0/4a09644v.jpg

Item Title

Str. Pleasure at ferry dock, Detroit, Mich..

Created/Published

[between 1900 and 1906]

Notes

Bois Blanc Cafe to right of boat.
"52 C" on negative.
Detroit Publishing Co. no. 014539.
Gift; State Historical Society of Colorado; 1949.

**Whitehouse** · December-23-09, 08:37 PM

And this was the Garland.

So indeed, now we have the possible names, "Promise", "Pleasure" and "Garland".
See, also an extended upper deck.

Stosh · December-23-09, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

And this was the Garland.

So indeed, now we have the possible names, "Promise", "Pleasure" and "Garland".
See, also an extended upper deck.

Look closer. There's a makeshift or otherwise sailcloth cover over the front of the boat. The Garland's hull is significantly smaller than it's decks proportionately. The decks of the boat in the ORIGINAL postcard are smaller.
Also I took the liberty of magnifying the original postcard as provided by the originator of the thread, removing the color, and applying a vivid mask in Photoshop elements. Here's the result:
Attachment 4468

One of course has to remember that this is a drawing.

Stosh · December-23-09, 10:40 PM

Compare the above with this enlargement from the 20 meg tiff format of the Pleasure:
Attachment 4469

**Johnnny5** · December-24-09, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

.

And this must be a major oops....

That's the Tashmoo. It was unmanned and broke loose from it's moorings during a winter storm. If I remember correctly it was hardly damaged.

**Mikeg** · December-24-09, 01:24 AM

In 1919, the "Britannia" was one of the Belle Isle ferry boats that sailed from the foot of Woodward to the dock on the Canadian side of Belle Isle. Here is a Detroit News photo taken on July 4, 1919 showing soldiers of the 339th Infantry Regiment disembarking from the "Britannia".

**BillyBBrew** · December-24-09, 01:24 AM

Johnny is correct. The Tashmoo was laid up for the winter below the Belle Isle Bridge. During a severe winter storm she broke free from her moorings. The wind was so strong it blew up her upriver against the current until she was pinned against the bridge.

**Zacha341** · December-24-09, 09:13 AM

Wow! Love all the photos : ) Keep them coming!

**Whitehouse** · December-24-09, 06:20 PM

Has this been covered in the forum?

If this goes ahead it could be a new lease of life for the Bob-lo boats. Why invent the wheel when there are two wheels for the taking?

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Wow! Love all the photos : ) Keep them coming!

Okidoky! Topic seems to shift from one particular Ferry to Ferries in general, but I like it.

I like this one. A Ro_Ro train ferry on the Detroit river around 1900. [[Well, not completely. There are buffers on one end of the ferry so they ferry was loaded and unloaded on the same end.)
A glass negative, but so incredibly sharp!! Was this between Detroit and Windor?

Same picture, MONSTER SIZE!

Same ferry, fully loaded.

Brrrrrr!!!!!

Same pic, MONSTERSIZE!

And this picture is simply breathtaking!!

Stosh · December-24-09, 06:47 PM

I'd have to agree that in more recent times we've gotten away from the use of the river and lakes as PUBLIC resources and had them concentrated into private use primarily.It would be nice to see public river cruises come back again in some form or fashion. It was always nice to travel on the river on the Bob-lo, and briefly to Peche Island.

I can't say how economically viable some kind of venture like that would be. It costs serious money to run a boat that size these days. And while I hope that the Bob-lo boat will sail under it's own power some day, I wonder whether it's actually possible.