Photo: Ethan Benedict. View full-sized image.
On Saturday, June 3, a new exhibit focusing on the
history of the defunct Boblo Island Amusement Park (Amherstburg, Ontario,
Canada) was debuted by the Marsh Historical Collection, a local genealogy and
history resource for the town along the lower Detroit River. The story of Boblo
Island and its iconic ferry fleet was told through various photographs and artifacts
of the park owned by the collection and on loan for the exhibit.
That afternoon, Michigan-based author Patrick
Livingston delivered a presentation about the amusement park at the locally owned
and operated River Bookshop. Attendees included former park guests and
employees, all with fond memories of their summers on the island. Afterward,
the author was available to sign copies of his book, Summer Dreams: The
Story of Bob-Lo Island (published by Wayne State University Press), which
were available for sale at the bookshop.
Owing to space constraints at the Marsh Collection
Society facility, the full exhibit was only scheduled for one day because the
displays impeded access to the collection’s resources. Albeit brief, the
reflection on the lost amusement park was welcomed by those in attendance.
— Ethan Benedict