In the 1960s, an era of widespread social turbulence, the shipping industry in the Great Lakes was on the threshold of immense change. Developed during World War II, the U.S. merchant fleet faced threatening competition from the newer Canadian fleet. The demand for iron ore skyrocketed as baby boomers matured into the age of auto and appliance buying. To meet the increasing need, there was talk of expanding the size of the Soo Locks to accommodate larger vessels and even of lengthening the shipping season. It was glaringly obvious that a time of change was upon the aging U.S. ships and...
In the 1960s, an era of widespread social turbulence, the shipping industry in the Great Lakes was on the threshold of immense change. Developed du...
Located twenty miles south of Detroit where the Detroit River meets Lake Erie, Bob-lo Island was the ultimate summer playground for families from Detroit and Windsor for nearly one hundred years. In its heyday, the island housed an amusement park with one of the world's largest dance halls, an elegant restaurant, and a hand-carved carousel. It also employed two large Frank Kirby-designed ferry steamers--complete with dancing and other entertainment--to transport patrons to and from the island, which was not accessible by car. In Summer Dreams, author Patrick Livingston tells the story of...
Located twenty miles south of Detroit where the Detroit River meets Lake Erie, Bob-lo Island was the ultimate summer playground for families from D...
Set in the mid 60s, A Day at Bob-lo is a 24 hour odyssey that captures the lives of Americans and Canadians as they meet and mingle on a hot summer day at an amusement park on an island in the Detroit River. The action begins in the wee hours of the morning at the Detroit dock as the Night Gang crew of the SS Columbia struggle to clean up the ship for the coming day. A sense of mystery is introduced as one of the gang senses an apparition in the river's haze. The morning unfolds with the introduction of crew members, entertainers, island employees and park patrons - as they make their way...
Set in the mid 60s, A Day at Bob-lo is a 24 hour odyssey that captures the lives of Americans and Canadians as they meet and mingle on a hot summer da...
