History of Boblo Island

Today Boblo Island is remembered for its amusement park, however during the 1700s and a large part of the 1800s the island served as a farm land and later a military base for the British during the war of 1812. The first mention of Boblo Island comes from 1718 when it was described “70 Native American families peacefully farming the fertile land on the island”. The French who discovered the island named it Bois Blanc Island due to its unmistakable white colored trees that lined the island, the Bois Blanc name translates to english as white wood. In 1898 the Detroit, Windsor, and Belle Isle Ferry Company, turned the island into a recreation and picnic spot for the company. The first boat to serve the island was known as “The Promise”. For about a decade prior to taking over the island the Detroit, Windsor, and Belle Isle Ferry Company served as a passage way for travelers between Detroit, Windsor, and Belle Isle, however as bridges began to be built such as the Belle Isle Bridge in 1889, and the ambassador bridge in 1929, and the tunnel to Canada in 1930 passenger service was not needed and the company consolidated into one route and later renamed to the Bob-Lo Excursion Company. When the original company folded in 1942, many of the original steamships of the company were left abandoned and scrapped over the course of about a decade. The Promise ship that originally served Boblo Island was scrapped in 1938, after sitting abandoned since 1934. The famous Boblo Boats that served the island were launched in 1902 and 1910, the first of the two, the SS. Columbia launched on May 10, 1902 in Wyandotte MI. The Columbia served as a direct replacement and upgrade to the promise steamship. While The Promise could hold 2,000 passengers the Columbia could hold 2,500 passengers. Later on May 7, 1910 the Ste Claire launched in Toledo Ohio. The need for a second boat was needed as attendance grew to new levels in the early 1900s. While generally considered sister ships, the Boblo boats are not sister ships by definition, however all three boats (The Promise, the SS Columbia, and the STE Claire) were all built by naval architect Frank E. Kirby. By the 1920s photos show both boats being at capacity very often, however still Boblo island was still not the amusement park as people would become to know it. However the first ride was built on the island a simple ride called “The Whip” the ride is described as featuring a flat, ovular or rectangular base with circular revolving turntables or pulleys at each end connected by a continuous motor powered cable track. Small two to three person cars were pulled along the wooden floor. As the cable whipped the cars around the turning platforms at either end, riders experienced a sharp, lateral sliding "whip" sensation.” For the park operators it showed people had interest in rides at Boblo, which would go on to shape the island in later decades.