Tashmoo Park was an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

in Algonac, Michigan. Opened in 1897, it closed in 1951. Most of it was later demolished, though the dance pavilion remains today, used by a marina to store recreational boats over the winter. The park's name was given to the steamer '' Tashmoo'' and probably comes from Lake Tashmoo on

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

. The park was located on Harsens Island in the St. Clair Flats at the northern end of

Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...

. The St Clair Flats is the largest freshwater river delta in the world. Tashmoo Park offered visitors an escape from the oppressive heat and humidity of packed, sweltering Detroit in the summertime. Tashmoo Park had picnic tables, a baseball diamond, swings and rides, as well as a casino and a dancing pavilion. Some visitors swam in the St Clair River.

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

from nearby

Walpole Island Walpole Island is an island and First Nation reserve in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the border between Ontario and Michigan in the United States. It is located in the mouth of the St. Clair River on Lake St. Clair, about by road from Winds ...

sold moccasins and beadwork. The park was served by many steamships that travelled several times a day between Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan, delivering passengers and freight. This was during a time when automobiles were rare and roads few. However, the connecting waters of the Great Lakes made steamships travel almost like riding a bus, and up to 250,000 people visited Tashmoo Park in the summers during the 1890s and early 20th century. The most famous steamer was the ''Tashmoo'', which stopped twice daily on trips between Detroit and Port Huron. The park was revived to memory in June 2013 when Dave Leander took a dive in the St. Clair River and found a buried bottle with a message containing a reference to the park. The letter was dated June 30, 1915.

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Amusement Parks - Tashmoo ParkThe SS Tashmoo and her date with doom
1897 establishments in Michigan 1951 disestablishments in Michigan Defunct amusement parks in Michigan Buildings and structures in St. Clair County, Michigan {{Amusement-ride-stub