| Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Still, it was not very soon after that, that Tampa captured that myth," Kite-Powell said. Jose Gaspar (GC3FZAF) was created by seabreezedrive on 4/1/2012. All rights reserved. The story of Juan Gomez is also published in the Library of Congress. What year did Jose Gaspar invade Tampa? 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. Rumor has it, that the stolen goods are still hidden somewhere on the island. Or at least thats what Florida folklore would have you believe. What you don't expect to find is treasure. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. ", 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. If there is one thing pirates are known for it is treasure. Treasure hunting can be a fun and exciting activity. All of it is built around the story of Gaspar. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. They bribed the owner with some of the treasure to not divulge their location. 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). History Gattuso will keep them busy on Useppa and across Florida. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Aged Rum. The leaflet establishes Gaspars legend, claiming that he chose Gasparilla Island as the best of the islands in Charlotte Harbor to establish his base. 128 were here. The team used metal detectors and shovels but didn't find anything. 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 . Jose Gaspar, the legendary buccaneer who inspired Tampas Gasparilla Pirate Festival, as well as fantastic tales of lost treasure, most likely never really existed. This state also holds another possible location on the banks of Blackbird Creek. Marias brother Mike believes the couple in the photo may be their great grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez. For whatever reason, burial of chests laden with gold and jewels seems to be the norm, but is there any pirate treasure left? Whilst swimming in Key West, he and a team of specialists find a huge anchor that may have been from Gaspar's vessel. What he thought was a British cargo ship turned out to be the USS Enterprise, on a mission to end piracy. From seashells to lost treasure, this shop has it all. 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. Despite his brutal reputation, Gasparilla was supposed to have a soft side as well. Contributing columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor/reporter for Telemundo Bakersfield and KGET. This endeavor lasted only about 5 years when the us army came to visit Lafitte, asking him to leave. Definitely try, Find our recommended Caribbean hotels, restaurants, charters, & tours. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. There are numerous tales and stories of pirate treasures hidden thought the world, some of which are not attributed to any particular pirate. Upon hearing this news, he unloaded his spoils and set sail for America (where he was later arrested and sent back to England). Finally Pirates Cove, which is on the southern tip of Connecticut may house these valuable chests. So, a real figure or a tall tale told by Floridians? Do secret rooms conceal unknown treasures? Most of the suspected locations are in and around the state of Florida. And to this day, Jose Gaspar returns on board his pirate ship every year to capture the city.". With the help of the Prime Minster she was able to convincingly spread this rumor leading to Gaspars impending arrest by the king. (5) The first written version of Gasparilla appeared in an advertising brochure of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railroad Co. printed in 1900. The 300,000 partiers who will swarm the streets Saturday in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate parade won't care. The notorious pirate then committed suicide by wrapping a heavy chain around him and jumping over the side. "We are not sure what we're going to do with it," said Lopez. Lots of shells and jewelry and other gifts. Save. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. It seems the mythical pirate was a tall tale concocted by a man named Juan Gmez. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. 2119 N Oceanshore Blvd. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, no pirate was more feared in the southern United States than Jose Gaspar. Pirate Photo byScott UmstattdonUnsplash, Lafitte Photo By Anonymous Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas, Public Domain, Skully Photo byLuke SouthernonUnsplash. Gasparilla began on horseback in 1904 as a way to add a little pirate-themed fun to the city's May Day festivities. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. The legend states that Gaspar terrorized the western coastal waters of Florida in the late 18th to early 19th century. Despite its long history, there is no definitive origin of the name. So it would seem that Gasparilla is a fiction, no more real a figure than Mickey Mouse. A treasure said to be worth $30 million. What date is Gasparilla 2021? So are you juiced up and just caught the gold fever? 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. 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. 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. 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! His ship was scuttled in the battle sending the valuables to the bottom of the ocean. I'm here writing on Treasureunknown to provide helpful resources so others can get out and enjoy the thrill of the hunt! The Search for Florida's Lost Pirate: With Josh Gates, Shamus Warren, Rodney Kite-Powell, Michael Gattuso. With Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses, How We Became Mr. and Mrs. He was said to have been extremely active for many years, attacking merchant ships and evading justice, and in this time he won himself a huge fortune. I have never found any real evidence he lived. In 1897, he purchased land at Boca Grande, an island outpost. By Geoff Dobson. The choice of the navy career wasn't courage and thirst for adventure on the part of Jose but an expediency of the moment. "Maria came across it and once she told me she found a hand in a box. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. There is another treasure said to be buried on Kelly Island in Delaware by James Gillian, a member of Kidds crew. When he was captured and offered the option of going to prison or joining the navy, he chose the latter, serving with distinction for several years before organizing a mutiny against a dictatorial captain and fleeing to Florida with a stolen ship. A Tampa, Florida family going through their grandparent's attic made an interesting discovery: a treasure map, some coins, and an old human hand! Available at: https://ymkg.com/the-legend-of-jose-gasparilla/. He stated that it was buried beside 2 wind damaged trees and a large rock (one would think that with treasure this valuable one would choose landmarks a little more cautiously, but I guess trees and a rock is all we have to go on here). His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. Is this the hand and treasure of Jose Gaspar? We thought that was awesome. In or around 1806 the brothers arrived in New Orleans Louisiana and were licensed privateers operating in the Gulf of Mexico. When Gasparilla requested that they accompany him and his crew on a raid, the two young lovers assumed they would be slaughtered. Show more. Dropa Stones: Are They 12,000 Year Old Discs? Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. Though he is a popular figure in Florida folklore, no evidence of his existence appears in writing before the early 20th century. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f2/ferret-iii.htm, Florida's Pirate Jose Gaspar and his Treasure Story. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. First of all there was a Spanish Catholic missionary named Gasparillo that had a mission on the island that bears his name. Jose Gaspar (aka: Gasparilla) was a quasi-mythical Spanish pirate who roamed the waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. He found a hillside where he buried 2 pirate chests filled with valuable metals and jewels. And he's fueled a cottage industry of treasure-hunting books, guides and metal . "Possibly keep it forever. Before deciding to pursue this ship, Gaspar left some of his men behind with the treasure. The author of the pamphlet readily stated that the spectacular tale was a work of fiction with no genuine facts in it. Jose Lopez's sister, Maria, was cleaning out the attic of a home owned by her great-grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez, in Tampa's historic Ybor City area, when she stumbled upon the box, WFLA-TV reports. Or they were always togahter. 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. Lopez wasn't a fan of pirates when he was growing up. Gaspar apparently did not share this attraction and instead gave his attention to other women of the court. Treasure hunter Stacey Hunt holds an old nail found under the ground on a wetland believed to have lost treasure. Therefore hiding treasure might have seemed like a logical choice. "The Gasparilla Day Parade, the big parade, is the third largest parade in this country after only the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Bowl parade. 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. He spent nearly 30 years plundering ships in and around the gulf coast. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); If anybody wants to start a treasure seach team, WTF Florida? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". In all, he buried 13 casks and chests of treasure in the vicinity of his headquarters. Accept Read More. This treasure as well as the tunnels remain lost. The pirate, whose full name is Jos Gaspar, is a legend from the 18th and 19th century. On the Hawaiian island of Oahu there is said to be six chests buried along a stone wall somewhere around Kaena Point. 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. 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. "The reason I believe in Gasparilla is because I believe in Juan Gomez," Mike Gattuso, a member of The Real Treasure Hunters, told Paluska. You'll need a boat or kayak for this cache. His piratical career always starts with an injustice and he is seen as a lovable rogue rather than a murderous monster. These stories really get your imagination scrambling about finding buried riches yourself. Old Hand Found In Florida Attic With Coins And Treasure Map. His death seems to come straight from Hollywood. Our knowledge of Jean and his brother Pierre begins in the early 1800s. Latest Blog . (4) The person who gets most of the credit for the Gasparilla myth is John Gomez who drowned around 1900 at the age of 122. 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. "We do have some treasure maps, and we're working on them," Gattuso said. Friendly down to earth staff. He successfully captured a few ships during his years long voyage. While doing some spring cleaning a few weeks ago, Maria Lopez made an unusual discovery in her grandfathers attic. And that's what we've been chasing. But treasure hunters believe there is truth in his tall tale, and buried treasure is out there. Since the 1870s, treasure hunters have been trying unsuccessfully to crack this code you see below: Some say its Spanish. Jose Gaspar Treasure 6 Jewelry Gift Shops Bookstores $ "We went in looking for a lite shark tooth for our son. The American Government then decided to get into the act and sent a Navy squadron to end his career. 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). "We go after Juan Gomez because everything, all the treasures and everything we've come through, is tied to him. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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." All of it is built around the story of Gaspar. Pirate treasure rumors. The city of Tampa hosts a Gasparilla Day each year. 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. We lived not far from Gasparella Island and Charlotte Harbour.where the legend supposedly ended. Also check state and local regulations before you begin any activities such as digging or metal detecting. He subsequently set fire to all his buildings before sailing out to sea, never to be heard from again. St. Vincent Island off the coast of Florida is said to have been an island frequented by early pirates. Gaspar did not exist, but never mind that. However there are several problems with the story which have led many to question whether Gasparilla as he was known was a real historical figure. Many say he buried treasure here during this time. In the 1690s a war broke out between England and France. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. I'm Clint, the guy behind Treasureunknown. The San Jose galleon was believed to have been . 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. Jose was also an officer of high standing in the naval affairs of the Spaniards. If marriage was selected, there would be a ceremony, and the marriage promise would be strictly enforced.
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