https://wtfflorida.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/17-Oru-Para-Todos-Los-Santos-Part-1-Eleggua.mp3, Its gonna be really f*cking cold in Florida; impending snow, death, mayhem, Andrew Van Sickle assigned as prosecutor in the infamous shark case, Lets Make Florida Slightly Less Fucked Up, Alligator attacks Peace River swimmer in Arcadia, Florida Man Cuts off Gator Tail to Impress Girlfriend and Tries to Sell it to Neighbors, Traffic stop leads to meth arrest in Silver Springs. So where did Blackbeard hide his treasures? The team searched the waters at low tide for a canon buried in the sand. A couple of his rancher buddies found him and buried him. TAMPA, Fla. - Docked in downtown Tampa, the Jose Gasparilla II is one of the most iconic parts of Gasparilla and a year-round reminder of Tampa's biggest party and quirkiest tradition. Toward the end of his pirate career, Bowlegs was being pursued by an English warship. His men, who numbered in the hundreds, also buried their smaller caches on these islands. To add more to the story, the treasure map contained the name of the infamous mythical pirate Gaspar. The 300,000 partiers who will swarm the streets Saturday in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate parade won't care. He's rumored to have had a secret base in Charlotte Harbor and would sail back and forth to Spain as well as roam around the Gulf of Mexico until his death in 1821, at the hands of the U.S. Navy. There are numerous tales and stories of pirate treasures hidden thought the world, some of which are not attributed to any particular pirate. What we do know is that he is considered a hero to some and a villain to others. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. He spoke to local TV news network WFLA about the discovery, and the story kept getting stranger. Website. Gaspar apparently did not share this attraction and instead gave his attention to other women of the court. Legends tell how he amassed a huge fortune, and hid an enormous treasure before dying a hero facing the might of the US Navy. We have compiled a list of 11 potential pirate treasure troves left unfound. They took the box to a few antique stores around Tampa and the contents were described as "gruesome and authentic.". USEPPA ISLAND, Fla. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. The Gasparilla Inn was a hotel on the island. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He then sailed back across the world, landing on what we now know as our home of Tampa Bay. This tale doesnt give the Lopezes a helping hand in solving the mystery of the finds from their grandparents attic. Also check state and local regulations before you begin any activities such as digging or metal detecting. A Beginners Guide to Magnet Fishing: 15 Sure Fire Tips. "It's a bunch of heartbreak with little reward and a lot of imagination," said treasure hunter Erin Melcher. Do secret rooms conceal unknown treasures? Many say he buried treasure here during this time. The author of the pamphlet readily stated that the spectacular tale was a work of fiction with no genuine facts in it. Though that treasure has never been discovered, the story of the swashbuckling Gaspar was unearthed and his memory revived in 1904 when Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla was formed and adopted the pirate as patron rogue of their city . John Gomez, also known as Juan Gomez and Panther John. If marriage was selected, there would be a ceremony, and the marriage promise would be strictly enforced. Decipher the code, and you might find some of Gaspars lost treasure but as fast as Florida changes, dont be surprised if you find a new shopping mall sitting square on top of it. "So, it's interesting how Tampa, in a sense, stole; we were pirates ourselves. But they know long-lost treasures and artifacts are out there. Another logical location said to hide this cache of valuables is in South Carolina. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The most famous Florida pirate was Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. $ 6 reviews. Rumor has it, that the stolen goods are still hidden somewhere on the island. The brochure relied heavily on the stories told by John Gomez. These tunnels converged into a large chamber underground. Lopez wasn't a fan of pirates when he was growing up. There are multiple stories about his life that vary greatly depending upon the source of the information, leading some to conclude that he was not a real person. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. One such account concerns Maria Louise, a lovely Spanish princess, who was returning to Spain after a journey to Mexico with 11 Mexican princesses who were to be educated and married in Spain. The story states that Rogers discovered these lost tunnels and used them to store his treasure. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. Tyrons Landing located between the towns of Wethersfield and Naubuc. His ship soon followed him to the watery depths. During his 38 year career as a pirate, Gaspar attacked over four hundred ships in the Gulf waters of Florida, including supposedly the vessel carrying $11.75 million in gold bullion that the United States had paid Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase. ", The story of Gaspar begins in 1782; the brochure states, "he stood high in the graces of the Spanish Court, so high indeed that he niched the crown jewels. (story from treasurelore.com). The poem, maps, comments from other searchers, and other guides to finding the treasure are online and easy to find. Jose was also an officer of high standing in the naval affairs of the Spaniards. For whatever reason, burial of chests laden with gold and jewels seems to be the norm, but is there any pirate treasure left? This was to prove his doom as the ship he had targeted was no harmless cargo ship but in fact the USS Enterprise, a heavily armed and very dangerous pirate hunter. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. When Maria and Mike were children, their grandfather would tell them stories about his father, Ernesto Lopez, finding Jose Gaspar's pirate treasure. link to 8 Super Fun Family Treasure Hunt Ideas: With Real Treasure. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gaspar, Sachs, S, 2022. Similar Names. But Rodney Kite-Powell, a Tampa-Bay curator, doesnt believe that the legendary figure was even real. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Or at least thats what Florida folklore would have you believe. As the story goes, the pirate Jose Gaspar was hunting for the USS Enterprise in 1821; onboard was Juan Gmez, the man who lived to tell the tale. Though details about his early life, motivations, and piratical exploits differ in various tellings, they agree that the 'Last of the Buccaneers" was a remarkably active pirate who amassed a huge . A fortune worth $1 million when it was hidden in 2010 is waiting to be picked up somewhere in the Rocky Mountains just a few miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Plundering the high seas and ports alike resulted in vast riches for some of these ruthless criminals. Just like most pirates, there is little known about his early life. Whilst swimming in Key West, he and a team of specialists find a huge anchor that may have been from Gaspar's vessel. Millions of dollars have been found literally lying in front of people's feet, the world's beaches. Icelanders and the Huldufolk: A Nation Gripped by Farinis Great Discovery: Is there a Lost City Top Ten Knights of King Arthurs Round Table. It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. When a ship was taken, the people aboard were not immediately murdered but instead offered the option of dying or joining Gasparillas crew. "We are not sure what we're going to do with it," said Lopez. Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railroad Company are said to have distributed the brochures. Hitting the scene in the early 1800s Billy Bowlegs Rogers was a pirate to be reckoned with. He even set up a blockade of the port of Charleston in South Carolina for 6 days. There is another treasure said to be buried on Kelly Island in Delaware by James Gillian, a member of Kidds crew. ", The story said Gaspar hid in the Charlotte Harbor area, and "while taking the census of 1900, two gentlemen stopped at Panther Key and spent the night with *John Gomez. Who created the man who is now a legend? This story states that the vast treasure was actually siting on the beach in numerous chests waiting to be divided. On my recent visit, I was on a shell mission to use for a hairpiece for a . "You'll hear more of us, you know; we'll do this until we're old and, you know, can't do it anymore.". For one, there is no evidence of his pirate empire. So that's why we believe that it was Juan Gomez. If the legend is true, Gasparilla was extremely successful and plundered more than 400 ships. A band of pirates in Wisconsin operated out of a cave on Hermit island. Leading a group of escaped convicts, Gaspar with his stolen ship established a home base in 1783 in the area of Charlotte Harbor, north of the present day Fort Myers on an Island he named "Gasparilla." He is said to have also taken that name for himself as it means "Gaspar the outlaw." According to Floridian folklore, Gaspar was a fearsome pirate that operated out of a secret base in southwest Florida in the late 18th and early 19th . All of it is built around the story of Gaspar. But Rodney Kite-Powell, a Tampa-Bay curator, doesn't believe that the legendary figure was even real. Gattuso leads a a small group called the The Treasure Hunters who spend their weekends hiking the wilderness near the Peace River in search of lost treasure believed to have been left behind by Jose Gaspar. Jos Gaspar, also known by his nickname Gasparilla (supposedly lived c. 1756 - 1821), is an apocryphal Spanish pirate who terrorized the Gulf of Mexico from his base in southwest Florida during Florida's second Spanish period (1783 to 1821). We thought that was awesome. In his early pirate career, he teamed up with a few other pirates and eventually took over a ship named The Revenge. Go find it, unbury it, take tons of pictures, bury it back again, and prove to the world that you found it. Jose Gaspar Treasure Company | Flagler Beach FL From real buried treasure, to massive pearl finds, these . They took the box to a few antique stores. You must log in or register to reply here. RECOMMENDED: The legend of Jose Gaspar and the history of Gasparilla. From a four-mile long parade of pirates and period memorabilia on display, to specialty packages and a waterfront half . This location is said to be on the southern end at False Live Oak Point. He told of the looting of ships, the massacre of innocents, and last of all, when his life had nearly passed, he told the story of 'The Little Spanish Princess,' whose name he did not remember. . Just a salty pirate looking to explore and document the wonders of the Caribbean. He then tied himself to an anchor and jumped in the ocean disappearing for all time. The Real Treasure Hunters have come a long way from social media in their hunt for the treasure of Jose Gaspar in the Peace River. There are at least 3 different locations said to hold his riches in Connecticut. Texas is also a logical location for this pirate to bury treasure. However, perhaps the most famous story of Gaspar concerns his death. He remembers their grandfather telling stories when they were children of Ernesto finding the treasure of Tampa Bay pirate legend Jose Gaspar. 1. We also participate in programs from eBay, CJ, Bluehost, Clickbank, ShareASale, and other sites. This treasure as well as the tunnels remain lost. What Became of Anne Bonny, Irish Pirate of the Caribbean? The prices seem lower, but not my thing. The team found a few nails, a beer can, and a screw during this hunt. wtfflorida.com/information/gaspars-lost-treasure/. When his attempts to capture Joseffa's heart were met with contempt, Gaspar used Useppa Island to imprison the proud princess, and the isle came to be known as "Joseffa's Island." Barron G. Collier Some say that as this disguised ship was sailing by, the aging pirate and his crew were in the process of dividing up the spoils as an act of retirement. Deleware holds one more possibility around Woodland Beach. The tale of pirate captain Jos Gaspar who, according to the stories, ravaged the west coast of Spanish Florida for 40 years is the inspiration for a bombastic plundering that continues from 1905. The legend of Gaspar began making its way into other writings after that, without any other historical evidence to back it up. So it would seem that Gasparilla is a fiction, no more real a figure than Mickey Mouse. I'm here writing on Treasureunknown to provide helpful resources so others can get out and enjoy the thrill of the hunt! The San Jose galleon was believed to have been . His flagship was eventually ran aground and he was ultimately killed by English warships off the East Coast of America. The Search For The Real Captain Morgan. No Result Found. Billy left the vast majority of his crew behind and sailed north to gather supplies to salvage his ship. Source of the stories which became inspiration for the legend of Jose Gaspar. The Choctawatchee Bay is an area of a lot of speculation of the location of some of Bowlegs hidden treasure. Gasparilla had fallen into a trap! The men were executed but Gomez was to be the final survivor of this piratical outfit. You are using an out of date browser. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The legend of pirate Jose Gaspar, or Gasparilla as he is sometimes known, is shrouded in mystery. Sometime later a large sum of gold coins was found near the Spanish Homestead. Latest Blog . I was totally blown away," said Lopez. History of Gasparilla: Jos Gaspar & his krewe. Flagler Beach, FL 32136. Seeing the writing on the wall, he decided to scuttle his own ship and hide with his crew in the forrest. These stories and locations presented are based on our research but should be taken with some skepticism. 1 Review #9 of 11 Shopping in Flagler Beach. The San Jose, a Spanish treasure ship, was attacked and sunk by a British warship in June 1708. Treasure hunter Todd Stager holds a machete on a wetland where him and a small group of treasure hunters believe lies lost treasure on the Peace River in Arcadia. Groups gather in St. Petersburg park to shed light on local violence, Tampas St. Josephs Childrens Hospital holds prom for pediatric patients, Photos: Rays back at Trop in spring game against Twins, Photos: Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic, Photos: New York's Naked Cowboy makes brief appearance in Tampa, Photos: Opening day for the Florida Strawberry Festival, Photos: IndyCar Series takes over streets of St. Petersburg, Hundreds of USF students join statewide walkout to protest DeSantis education policies, Photos: Lightning return home to take on Ducks, Photo Gallery: Family mourns Josiah Pinner during a candlelight vigil. He supposedly buried large amounts of treasures on the islands around the bay. A unique legend of pirate treasure in Indiana is intriguing. It's located in Florida, United States.A real, albeit, small treasure chest on a real small island. Canny readers will already recognize a certain romantic streak in these stories. Gaspar caught wind of his coming doom, and escaped via ship to America. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by, Jose Gaspar is not the only mythical pirate character that has. Though that treasure has never been discovered, the story of the swashbuckling Gaspar was unearthed and his memory revived in 1904 when Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla was formed and adopted the pirate as patron rogue of their city . Before deciding to pursue this ship, Gaspar left some of his men behind with the treasure. His death seems to come straight from Hollywood. The latter two locations being the most logical. "Possibly keep it forever. In it, she introduced herself and wrote that her parents were. The theme and focal point of Gasparilla is a friendly "invasion" by mythical pirate Jos Gaspar and his crew, who are portrayed by members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG), an organization created for this purpose in 1904. In this time Spain controlled a huge swathe of the Americas and Gaspar grew rich. Read another story from us:Norways Saint Olaf Uncovered: Archaeologists Believe They have Discovered the Shrine of the Lost Viking King. Who has not heard the rumor which has been going on in St. Augustine that Six Flags is coming to St. Johns County and will be constructed off of State Road 206? Source: Theartofphoto / Adobe Stock. Leaving Spain at an early age, he sailed to the West Coast of Florida. On one occasion, his right-hand man Lopez had become tired of the pirate life and desired to return to Spain to see his love, Sanibel, after 13 long years. Despite its long history, there is no definitive origin of the name. Lacking experience in seamanship, he and his crew of escaped slaves limited their raids to smaller ships and coastal villages but managed to amass a large amount of treasure, which was hidden in several caches on the . These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. He vowed revenge on those who had framed him and was forced to turn to a life of piracy. It's a Small size geocache, with difficulty of 3.5, terrain of 5. It is said that he and his brother buried all of his money on the islands in and around Charlotte Harbor. A few months ago, Gattuso found a Calusa bone tool that is now part of the Useppa Island museum's collection. He continued the diving operation, but while they were working, his wife came down with a fever and died. . This state also holds another possible location on the banks of Blackbird Creek. When Gasparilla requested that they accompany him and his crew on a raid, the two young lovers assumed they would be slaughtered. It was done for tourism purposes," Gattuso said. Magnet fishing is a hobby that is quickly increasing in popularity with good reason. And to this day, Jose Gaspar returns on board his pirate ship every year to capture the city.". (3) The Spanish kept meticulous records and there is no mention of Gasparilla in the archives. All had been going along fine for Gasparilla until the year 1822. During this time a woman of the royal family, rumored to be the kings daughter-in-law sought the attention of this young naval officer. Just pick any island and start digging, because Gasparillas loot is buried on many of them, including Cayo Pelau. Treasure hunter Michael Gattuso digs a hole in front of treasure hunters Stacey Hunt and Erin Melcher in an area where metal detectors notify of gold on a wetland believed to have lost treasure on the Peace River in Arcadia on Sunday, January 13, 2019. jose gaspar, coins, and treasuremap found. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); If anybody wants to start a treasure seach team, WTF Florida? A Tampa, Florida family going through their grandparent's attic made an interesting discovery: a treasure map, some coins, and an old human hand! However, this treasure is also attributed to the infamous pirate Blackbeard. again not sure of the thought process of choosing a tree as a landmark for millions of dollars in treasure, but that is how the story goes. This does not stop the legend of Gasparilla from living on in the Florida folklore; the story of his life is even retold in a hotel brochure at the site where supposedly his treasure was buried, The Huffington Post reported. P.S. A fisherman at Stafford Point in Connecticut is rumored to have spotted some pirates burying a heavy looking chest at Stratford Point in Connecticut during the late 1600s. He told where the body would be found and a sketch was prepared under his direction, and in recent years in the exact location as described, the skeleton of a beheaded woman was found.". What he thought was a British cargo ship turned out to be the USS Enterprise, on a mission to end piracy. Many of the stories about Gasparilla were attributed to Juan Gomez. On the Hawaiian island of Oahu there is said to be six chests buried along a stone wall somewhere around Kaena Point. This is believed to be part of the bribe money given to the owner. "And it was from that little nugget of information that came from the Charlotte Harbor railroad about a pirate named Gaspar that the whole legend of Gasparilla and Jose Gaspar came about, but it was Ye Mystic Krewe that fleshed it out. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The gold coins were too thin and too old to pass as authentic Spanish treasure. Mysterious box containing a map, coins and a mummified hand found in Tampa Bay attic. "Either my great-grandfather made the best, most elaborate pirate hoax ever and never shared it with anyone or he really did find some treasure on the Hillsborough River. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. May 4, 1904Gasparilla Pirate Festival / First event date. Inside was a tattered map of the Hillsborough River, century-old coins, a family picture and a hand wearing a ring. In 1897, he purchased land at Boca Grande, an island outpost. When it comes to the legend of Jose Gaspar, Diff told us to "be cautious that the information you present as there are lots of versions of this story and everyone's version is 'true.' Not much is known of his early life before his pirating career. Sarasota's Michael Gattuso and members of his . Around noon on the Gasparilla Day, members of YMKG set sail across Tampa Bay from near Ballast Point Park to downtown aboard the Jose Gasparilla, a 165' long flat . http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f2/ferret-iii.htm, Florida's Pirate Jose Gaspar and his Treasure Story. He renamed this ship Queen Anns Revenger which gave him one of the largest fleets on the East coast of America and Caribbean. Charlotte Harbor is an ideal spot to go treasure hunting. Tales of love and marriage, an aristocratic captain with nobility in his crew, a handsome and debonair adventurer: all these stories seem too good to be true. It seems the mythical pirate was a tall tale concocted by a man named Juan Gmez. This particular lost treasure consists of a bunch of silver coins, ingots and even pieces of jewelry. He quickly worked his way up the ranks of the Spanish Navy and became an officer. His headquarters were at Boca Grande, on what is today known as Gasparilla Island. He apparently helped repeal a British Invasion on New Orleans. Or show us love by sharing articles and leaving great comments. Gaspar did not exist, but never mind that. Find the treasure, don't report it, melt it down or sell it on the black market using a different name. Some historians say Caesar has between two-and-six million dollars of treasure stashed on Pine Island. Later that fall, he captured a large French slave ship bound for some sugar plantations. 2119 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136-2802. Strap yourself in for a wild ride and buy this international bestselling book today! You must log in or register to reply here. According to archives, the island community was created by Albert W. Gilchrist, Floridas 20th governor. His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed. Louisiana makes sense because during most of his time here, he was considered a fugitive by the US. His sister found a box in their grandfather's attic in Tampa, Fla., a few weeks ago while doing some spring cleaning. However, even from the first we run into different versions of the story. He was sentenced to prison and eventually released. His piratical career always starts with an injustice and he is seen as a lovable rogue rather than a murderous monster. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. This is extremely suspect as this is the same location rumored to hide the treasure of Billy Bowlegs Rogers.
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