Just pick any island and start digging, because Gasparillas loot is buried on many of them, including Cayo Pelau. And he's fueled a cottage industry of treasure-hunting books, guides and metal . 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. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. 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. In or around 1806 the brothers arrived in New Orleans Louisiana and were licensed privateers operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The allures of Jose Gaspar's mythical treasure and Tampa's giant pirate parade have pulled strongly on producers of reality television lately. "They were the ones that profited from the story to attract visitors to their new train stop and hotel (Gasparilla Inn)," Crystal Diff, Executive Director of the Boca Grande Historical Society and History Center, wrote in an email. Billy left the vast majority of his crew behind and sailed north to gather supplies to salvage his ship. A band of pirates in Wisconsin operated out of a cave on Hermit island. Jos Gaspar. Jean Lafitte. Useppa Island was a military outpost, resort, Confederate stronghold, and CIA site to train Cuban exiles for the Bay of Pigs invasion and was continuously inhabited for 10,000 years by the Calusa Indians. There are many differing versions about the pirates origins and life, but there is no real historical evidence that he ever existed. Did Grandpa find pirate treasure? He spoke to local TV news network WFLA about the discovery, and the story kept getting stranger. ", "Jose Gaspar, from my understanding, was a name that was made up by Ye Mystic Krewe, which they tied to Gasparilla, which was tied to the railroad pamphlet that you're talking about, which that is not real. What year did Jose Gaspar invade Tampa? In this time Spain controlled a huge swathe of the Americas and Gaspar grew rich. Having spent some time here, Blackbeard built a fort near a swamp west of Charleston. Many of the stories about Gasparilla were attributed to Juan Gomez. A couple of his rancher buddies found him and buried him. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. When he was wrongfully arrested, he hijacked a ship and fled, promising to seek revenge on his homeland. Jose Gaspar (aka: Gasparilla) was a quasi-mythical Spanish pirate who roamed the waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. But Gasparilla himself did not survive the final battle. This characterization continues through the stories of Gasparilla as a pirate. Upon returning he discovered that he had been labeled a pirate by the British government. What remains of Jos Gaspar today are his stories and legends, but most significant of them all is the secret of these mysterious cherries. He has taken his place in local folklore and culture and has an annual festival in his honor. According to other versions of the narrative, Gaspar was a nobleman who rose through the ranks of the Spanish Royal Navy and became a councilor to King Charles III of Spain. The team, known as the "Temple Twelve," have been . He met and married his wife in New York and had 2 daughters. However there is a salacious twist to this tale, in that when this lovely young girl declined his romantic proposition, he had her executed. 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. But they know long-lost treasures and artifacts are out there. This Plantation is said to be roughly 5 miles West of the town of Iowa. Keep me posted! 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. Once again our legend states that he hid 3 large chests among a group of trees on San Jose Island. I have never found any real evidence he lived. Gaspar was a rebel from an aristocratic upbringing. Pirate Photo byScott UmstattdonUnsplash, Lafitte Photo By Anonymous Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas, Public Domain, Skully Photo byLuke SouthernonUnsplash. Despite his brutal reputation, Gasparilla was supposed to have a soft side as well. Evidently, though, the treasure is not. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Caesar was forced to push his pirate pack north to the Gulf of Mexico. When a ship was taken, the people aboard were not immediately murdered but instead offered the option of dying or joining Gasparillas crew. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co 5 1 #9 of 11 Shopping in Flagler Beach Speciality & Gift Shops Visit website Write a review What people are saying " Fun shop with good prices! It is said that Captain Kidd came ashore here. But, now? We've been chasing his treasures. Later that fall, he captured a large French slave ship bound for some sugar plantations. Accept Read More. 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 . Jose Gaspar commandeered the 'Floridablanca', the ship upon which he was serving, to commence his life of piracy. A Florida family may have discovered some unusual treasure belonging to legendary pirate Jose "Gasparilla" Gaspar. Ancient Viking treasures found in England actually seems to be a thing, as many of relative value have been found throughout the years. Chasing Treasure: The myth of Gasparilla and the real-life man Juan Gomez. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Tales of pirate treasures are very difficult to substantiate due to many factors. "We are not sure what we're going to do with it," said Lopez. But Rodney Kite-Powell, a Tampa-Bay curator, doesnt believe that the legendary figure was even real. Once he was a few hundred meters away, the British flag came down and the American flag rose up the mast. The pirate, whose full name is Jos Gaspar, is a legend from the 18th and 19th century. Pricing is not too high. It was a simple wooden box, but inside were fascinating (and macabre) clues to a family mystery. He supposedly buried 3 chests under a palm tree somewhere in the vicinity. Buumi . This location is said to be on the southern end at False Live Oak Point. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. (2) Most of the islands around Charlotte Harbor were named by the Cuban Spanish fishermen that lived there since the 1600's. Rumors take on a life of their own and ultimately cause hurt or expense. It seems the mythical pirate was a tall tale concocted by a man named Juan Gmez. 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. The American Government then decided to get into the act and sent a Navy squadron to end his career. 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. Pirate treasure rumors. The final and perhaps most intriguing possibility is around the Spanish Fort San Carlos in Pensacola. What year did Gasparilla start? CBS affiliate WPEC-TV reported that 43-year-old treasure hunter Jonah Martinez located the coins using a . On my recent visit, I was on a shell mission to use for a hairpiece for a . According to some versions of the story, Gaspar started as a troubled adolescent who kidnapped a little girl for ransom. There is not much known about his adventures in Florida but there is rumors of him hiding a large treasure around Choctawatchee Bay. The brochure relied heavily on the stories told by John Gomez. Theyve done this every Sunday for a year, looking for the booty of 19th century pirate Jose Gaspar. Maybe you can find one and claim the fame and wealth that will ultimilty accompany your successful efforts. The story of Juan Gomez is also published in the Library of Congress. "You'll hear more of us, you know; we'll do this until we're old and, you know, can't do it anymore.". From seashells to lost treasure, this shop has it all. A unique legend of pirate treasure in Indiana is intriguing. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gaspar, Sachs, S, 2022. He quickly worked his way up the ranks of the Spanish Navy and became an officer. And indeed there are serious problems with the stories of Gasparilla. "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. Pirate Blackbeard entered the history books in the early 1700s. Sometime later a large sum of gold coins was found near the Spanish Homestead. His treasure might have been on the ship with him during this battle. Supposedly a group of pirates traveled from the gulf inland via river to a spot in Indiana where they hid a bunch of gold coins east of the town of Freedom. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. My grandfather had a book on all these when I was younger. Our Florida pirate "Jose Gaspar enters history's scene in Spain where he was born in the year 1756 and started adult life with a career in the Spanish Navy, serving aboard the warship Floridablanca. It's part of our family now.". Jose Gaspar Treasure 6 Jewelry Gift Shops Bookstores $ "We went in looking for a lite shark tooth for our son. 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. St. Vincent Island off the coast of Florida is said to have been an island frequented by early pirates. 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. If the legend is true, Gasparilla was extremely successful and plundered more than 400 ships. It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. They took the box to a few antique stores. In the 1690s a war broke out between England and France. Thread starter seeker41; Start date Apr 29, 2015 Apr 29, 2015 These stories and locations presented are based on our research but should be taken with some skepticism. Inside was a tattered map of the Hillsborough River, century-old coins, a family picture and a hand wearing a ring. wtfflorida.com/information/gaspars-lost-treasure/. Jose Gaspar, the legendary buccaneer who inspired Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Festival, as well as fantastic tales of lost treasure, most likely never really existed. The latter two locations being the most logical. When Maria and Mike were children, their grandfather would tell them stories about his father, Ernesto Lopez, finding Jose Gaspar's pirate treasure. Named for legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar, who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the 18th and early 19th centuries, Tampa Bay's destination-wide annual Gasparilla celebration kicks off each January with a full schedule of exciting pirate-themed events. We have seven maps.". He weighed in on the treasure map as well and believes it was a blueprint for the area during the 1920s and 1930s, but nothing more. Is this the hand and treasure of Jose Gaspar? A few months ago, Gattuso found a Calusa bone tool that is now part of the Useppa Island museum's collection. This story seems to border on the outer limits, but a local historian doesnt believe that the hand belongs to the famed pirate. 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." He then tied himself to an anchor and jumped in the ocean disappearing for all time. Gasparilla 2023: The pirate party master list. The San Jose, a Spanish treasure ship, was attacked and sunk by a British warship in June 1708. There is another treasure said to be buried on Kelly Island in Delaware by James Gillian, a member of Kidds crew. According to archives, the island community was created by Albert W. Gilchrist, Floridas 20th governor. The first recorded reference of Jos Gaspar was in fact over 100 years after his supposed career, in a short biography included in an early 1900s promotional brochure for the Gasparilla Inn on Gasparilla Island in Charlotte Harbor. 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. Santa Rosa Island has been sort of a local hotspot for finding bags of gold and silver coins. In fact, we dont even know for certain his real name. This endeavor lasted only about 5 years when the us army came to visit Lafitte, asking him to leave. And to this day, Jose Gaspar returns on board his pirate ship every year to capture the city.". It's a Small size geocache, with difficulty of 3.5, terrain of 5. At The Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. visitors and locals can find treasures of all kinds. It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. There has been a lot of permanent damage to archaeological sites due to the misinformation about buried treasure in prehistoric mounds, and pushing some aspects of this myth may lead to others following suit (leading to arrests and seizures as well as loss of cultural information). Many took the deal. Once it was in print, people kept spreading it as absolute truth. 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 . With his crew of cut-throat mercenaries, the last of the buccaneers terrorized shipping in the Gulf of Mexico for years, striking from his secret Florida base. Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. He has written for 8 years in a variety of fields including history, health and politics. Powell showed us museum exhibits full of gold coins recovered from shipwrecks and explained how the legend of Jose Gaspar launched the Gasparilla Pirate Festival we know and love today. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Louisiana makes sense because during most of his time here, he was considered a fugitive by the US. Top Image: Real pirate or later fiction? The experts dont believe that their find is a real treasure map or that the legend of Gaspar is anything more than children story or a folk tale that adds to the culture of the area. Website. "Maria came across it and once she told me she found a hand in a box. The notorious pirate then committed suicide by wrapping a heavy chain around him and jumping over the side. The first written account of Gaspar was written in 1900 when the Charlotte . His theft discovered, he deserted his wife and children, gathered together a nice lot of cut-throats, stole the prize vessel of the Spanish fleet, and escaped. "But, what we believe is that Juan Gomez had ties to him. Marias brother Mike believes the couple in the photo may be their great grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez. Jose Gaspar has come in handy for parades and celebrations. Supposedly this fort had hidden tunnels leading under the fort. In the late 1600s a Scottish sailor named William Kidd came to America. Therefore hiding treasure might have seemed like a logical choice. Bald Point is another hotspot but for rumors of pirate treasure. He enjoyed telling stories about his adventures on the high seas and a large amount of Gasparillas treasure that was never discovered. Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. Spending most of his time here and running a larger business would provide ample opportunity and necessity to hide valuables. Youll read about many that are hidden and a few that were found, so it can happen. You must log in or register to reply here. His piratical career always starts with an injustice and he is seen as a lovable rogue rather than a murderous monster. While doing some spring cleaning a few weeks ago, Maria Lopez made an unusual discovery in her grandfathers attic. We also participate in programs from eBay, CJ, Bluehost, Clickbank, ShareASale, and other sites. These men witnessed the battle and when the pirate ship began to sink, they loaded this vast treasure onto small boats and escaped unnoticed to a place called Spanish Homestead around the Peace River. Gasparilla had decided to retire following the sale of Florida to the United States, and was dividing his treasure (valued at six times the purchase price of the entire state of Florida) between his crew. Definitely try, Find our recommended Caribbean hotels, restaurants, charters, & tours. The parade that follows is one of the largest in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Tampa Bay. So, we stole Jose Gaspar. As with any tale of vast hidden riches, these stories can not be 100 percent verified to even exist. He is even said to have buried treasure somewhere on the island near where the lighthouse now stands. A Beginners Guide to Magnet Fishing: 15 Sure Fire Tips. Before we get to the treasure hunt, let's touch on the historical background of Jose Gaspar and how a now infamous fictitious pirate became a Tampa legend. However, there is another story, that has some validity, of what happened to his treasure. You are using an out of date browser. His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed. Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. New Castle Island in Delaware is said to house treasure hidden by pirates from Madagascar in 1699. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. Legend has it that Gasparilla spotted a huge ship sailing in the distance. Lopez wasn't a fan of pirates when he was growing up. Treasure hunting can be a fun and exciting activity. He soon picked a good spot in Charlotte Harbor, and began to build his pirate kingdom. Find the treasure, report it, and go to jail for committing a 3rd Degree Felony. Flagler Beach, FL 32136. The coins are believed to be 18th century Spanish and Portuguese coins and the ring on the hand's is expected to be from around the same time period. Blackbeard captured an estimated 40 different ships and vessels in a little less than 2 years off the east coast of America and across the Caribbean. Gaspar realized in this moment that he had found the treasure he was searching for. Gaspar caught wind of his coming doom, and escaped via ship to America. He renamed this ship Queen Anns Revenger which gave him one of the largest fleets on the East coast of America and Caribbean. Jos Gaspar allegedly lived between 1756 and 1821 and was based on southwest Florida, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Treasure hunter Stacey Hunt holds an old nail found under the ground on a wetland believed to have lost treasure. 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The leaflet establishes Gaspars legend, claiming that he chose Gasparilla Island as the best of the islands in Charlotte Harbor to establish his base. Sarasota's Michael Gattuso and members of his . Enjoy. 2. They used Barataria Bay in Louisiana as a hub for their enterprise. Stingy Jack and the History of the Jack-o-Lantern, The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. One of his ships has been discovered in the waters off of North Carolina and definitely proven to belong to Blackbeard. His ship was scuttled in the battle sending the valuables to the bottom of the ocean. Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. He spent nearly 30 years plundering ships in and around the gulf coast. And she actually had maps, and she had stories that were passed down to the family about these treasures. Treasure hunter Erin Melcher drives his boat as Michael Gattuso navigates directions to a wetland believed to have lost treasure on the Peace River in Arcadia on Sunday, January 13, 2019. According to historians, it was a real man named Juan "Panther John" Gomez from Gasparilla Island, or as he was known locally, John, or Panther Key John. Dodge and Hardee get credit for creating Gasparilla, and Hardee and the krewe more so for crafting Gaspar's backstory (including giving him the first name Jose and a death date of 1821). Other possible locations of Kidds treasure include Maryland in Druid Park, and Money Island off the coast of Connecticut is also claimed to be used by Kidd. Who was this figure, and what was he supposed to have done? While Gaspar chained the anchor of his ship to his waist and dove into the water to avoid giving the enemy the satisfaction of killing him, Gmez lived to tell the tale. JavaScript is disabled.
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