“There’s nothing like a Boblo Boat,” says the video.
There’s a movement afoot to bring the S.S. Columbia, one of the old Boblo Boats, to service. The final run was in 1991. The Columbia was launched in 1902.
Sadly, this effort isn’t in Michigan, but as a service that would connect New York City to the Hudson Valley. From the S.S. Columbia website:
The SS Columbia Project will reconnect New York City to the Hudson Valley, revitalizing waterfront cities and towns, while also creating a unique floating mobile museum and experiential educational resource that bring people together around issues of social justice, arts & culture, and sustainability.
Although it would of been better to give it a service purpose closer to home, the restoration of the S.S. Columbia will be an attraction the whole nation can enjoy.
It also is a reminder that we should rally together to pull the resources to keep our history here so that the iconic things that so many of us remember can make new memories for new generations of future Detroiters.
There is still a Boblo Boat here. The sister ship of the Columbia, the S.S. Ste. Claire, was recently moved from Ecorse to Detroit to continue restoration work. The pair are the last day excursion steamers left in the United States, with the Ste. Claire hitting the water in 1910. To support the local project, head over to BobloBoat.com.