One of two remaining turn-of-the-century excursion steamships in exsistence, with the second being her sister ship the SS. Ste. Claire. Columbia was designed by Frank E. Kirby and constructed in Wyandotte, Michigan in 1902. During her hayday, the Columbia and her sister Ste. Claire sailed down the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan to Boblo Island, a Canadian island that was home to an amusment park. During the summer, the ships tripple decks would be filled with passengers enjoying the 90-minute boat ride to the island. Both ships featured music, a video game arcade, and a snack bar. The ships became icons on the Detroit River and greatly loved by the people of Detroit. Saddly, attendence to Boblo Island began to decline due to nearby Cedar Point. In 1990, the company that operated Boblo Island said the steamers were too much to handle and were becomeing a burden on the company's finances. The summer of 1990 was the last for the Columbia and Ste. Claire. The ships were docked outside the Great Lakes Steel Company in Ecorse, Michigan where they sat unprotected to the harsh Michigan winters. By 2000, the once beautifull steamers now looked like folating ghost ships with severely chipped paint, rotting wood, holes in the decks, and severe deteriation. In 2001, a restoration group from Lorain, Ohio purchased the Ste. Claire and towed her to Toledo, Ohio. In 2002, she was towed to Lorain, Ohio where, as of 2005, she still sits looking as beautifull as she did during her glory days on the Detroit River and is once again open to the public. On the other hand, as of 2005, the Columbia still sits in Ecorse. A giant tarp was placed over the ship to prevent further deteriation and her hull was inspected. Her future remains in question.