THE FOUNDRY · HISTORY LOVES COMPANY
Boblo Island: The Ride Began on the River
For many families, the boat ride was part of the adventure.
DETROIT & PONTIAC
A summer worth remembering
A Boblo brochure preserved by the Detroit Historical Society advertised the island as a picnic destination around 1958. Explore the island, the river crossing, summer jobs, and the memories people carried home.
The whole story
The story also includes exclusion and the fight for equal treatment: the Bob-Lo discrimination case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948.
Keep the conversation going
Watch History Loves Company’s Ste. Claire film, explore Bob-Lo Island: A History You Can Color, or bring someone who remembers the trip and start a conversation. The best detail may be the one that never made it into a photograph.
Continue the story
Historical sources
Every home has a story. Let’s discover yours.