The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure: A gripping, heart-pounding He wished to return to America to retrieve this treasure after Kidds execution but he never made it back. They bribed the owner with some of the treasure to not divulge their location. One day Gasparilla prepared to attack a merchantman, but to his surprise, it turned out to be a United States man-of-war. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Born in 1756 in Spain, Gaspar served in the Spanish Navy until a mutiny in 1783. 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. The parade that follows is one of the largest in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Tampa Bay. Did Grandpa find pirate treasure? Gaspar realized in this moment that he had found the treasure he was searching for. Pricing is not too high. "But if you're gonna make up the myth, you know, go big, and so why not make him, you know, all pirates rolled into one and, you know, the baddest of them all," Rodney Kite-Powell, a historian at the Tampa Bay History Center and Director of the Touchstone Map Library said. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co | Flagler Beach, FL 32136. "It's a bunch of heartbreak with little reward and a lot of imagination," said treasure hunter Erin Melcher. Gaspar's Lost Treasure - WTF Florida? 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. Despite his brutal reputation, Gasparilla was supposed to have a soft side as well. He would then sell these items to local customers in east Texas. 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 . Report from the Florida Zone: Buried Treasure - Blogger Chasing Treasure: The myth of Gasparilla and the real-life man Juan Gomez The poem, maps, comments from other searchers, and other guides to finding the treasure are online and easy to find. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. He even set up a blockade of the port of Charleston in South Carolina for 6 days. To learn more, visit our. This was around the 1870s, after the Civil War. The most famous Florida pirate was Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla. Jose Gaspar Treasure - MapQuest Maybe you can find one and claim the fame and wealth that will ultimilty accompany your successful efforts. 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. Photos: Treasure Including Spanish Gold Found on Colombia Shipwreck It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. Tampa family finds 'pirate treasure' in attic including treasure map The author of the pamphlet readily stated that the spectacular tale was a work of fiction with no genuine facts in it. ", Pirate treasure in grandpa's attic includes human hand. ", According to the railroad brochure, the "narrative was compiled by the writer from incidents told by John Gomez, better known as Panther Key John, a brother-in-law of Gasparilla and a member of his crew, who died at the age of 120 years, at Panther Key, Florida, 12 miles below Marco, in the year 1900; also from records left by John Gomez, Jr., the cabin-boy on Gasparilla's ship, who was kidnapped by Gasparilla and who witnessed the death of this pirate and all on board his vessel. As promised here is the start of your Pirate Treasure stories. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. Is this your business? Gasparilla fell in love with Jeffries while on land, but she informed him that she had fallen in love with one of his crew, Batista Fuentes, a handsome and well-educated man from a famous family. A Tampa, Florida family going through their grandparent's attic made an interesting discovery: a treasure map, some coins, and an old human hand! Jose Gaspar Treasure Company | Flagler Beach FL Most of the suspected locations are in and around the state of Florida. Top 10 Best Bookstores in Palm Coast, FL - February 2023 - Yelp 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. (2) Most of the islands around Charlotte Harbor were named by the Cuban Spanish fishermen that lived there since the 1600's. When he finally realized that it was a warship, it was too late. What year did Jose Gaspar invade Tampa? Mysterious box containing a map, coins and a mummified hand found in Tampa Bay attic. The notorious pirate then committed suicide by wrapping a heavy chain around him and jumping over the side. At The Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. visitors and locals can find treasures of all kinds. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Professional blogger, rum judge, consultant, marketer, and consumer of blue water beauty. This particular lost treasure consists of a bunch of silver coins, ingots and even pieces of jewelry. Whether the coins are authentic or not, Mike thinks the hand is real, and may belong to Jose Gaspar himself. Whether he was his cabin boy, like it states in the story, or maybe he might have been Gasparilla himself because of all the treasure maps that we have found. So it is a huge, huge draw for people to come to Tampa.". Since the 1870s, treasure hunters have been trying unsuccessfully to crack this code you see below: Some say its Spanish. However, even from the first we run into different versions of the story. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! He found a hillside where he buried 2 pirate chests filled with valuable metals and jewels. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f2/ferret-iii.htm, Florida's Pirate Jose Gaspar and his Treasure Story. 128 were here. WFLA | What is Gasparilla? Youll read about many that are hidden and a few that were found, so it can happen. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This is extremely suspect as this is the same location rumored to hide the treasure of Billy Bowlegs Rogers. The Pirates of Charlotte Harbor Find the treasure, report it, and go to jail for committing a 3rd Degree Felony. History of Gasparilla: Jos Gaspar & his krewe. Upon hearing this news, he unloaded his spoils and set sail for America (where he was later arrested and sent back to England). Pirate Treasure on Goodland in Southwest Florida - LITTLE BAR Restaurant 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. When Jose Gaspar died, he supposedly left an untold fortune in buried treasure somewhere along the Florida coast. Gaspar was a rebel from an aristocratic upbringing. We have seven maps.". 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). 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. There is another treasure said to be buried on Kelly Island in Delaware by James Gillian, a member of Kidds crew. What you don't expect to find is treasure. 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. Enjoy. Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State So, we stole Jose Gaspar. 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. 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 . I have never found any real evidence he lived. On the Trail of Gasparilla'S Treasure Haunted by The Ghost of Notorious Charlotte Harbor is an ideal spot to go treasure hunting. Always being on the run from mercenaries, armies, navies, and any and all other law enforcement agencies of the day, often resulted in the necessity to hide their riches. P.S. Dropa Stones: Are They 12,000 Year Old Discs? Marias brother Mike believes the couple in the photo may be their great grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez. This tale doesnt give the Lopezes a helping hand in solving the mystery of the finds from their grandparents attic. Supposedly this fort had hidden tunnels leading under the fort. He apparently helped repeal a British Invasion on New Orleans. Shopping, Gift & Specialty Shops. In the following years, he accumulated a board estimated at $30,000,000. He successfully captured a few ships during his years long voyage. Jos Gaspar. Most confirm that the "Floridablanca" was the name of his pirate ship and the one that he served upon in the Navy. Leaving Spain at an early age, he sailed to the West Coast of Florida. Inside was a tattered map of the Hillsborough River, century-old coins, a family picture and a hand wearing a ring. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Or at least thats what Florida folklore would have you believe. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. This treasure as well as the tunnels remain lost. He was wanted until 1815 when opinion of him changed. For one, there is no evidence of his pirate empire. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. As the legends go, the famed Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla, used the island as his home base of operations throughout the late 18th century and into the early 19th century. 1. The History of Gasparilla - Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla The ship contained $1,000,000 in assorted treasure, and should be there today. Or show us love by sharing articles and leaving great comments. The Story of Gasparilla by ABC Action News on Scribd. 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. 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 the story, Gaspar had underestimated the USS Enterprise as an easy target. And to this day, Jose Gaspar returns on board his pirate ship every year to capture the city.". He then tied himself to an anchor and jumped in the ocean disappearing for all time. He spoke to local TV news network WFLA about the discovery, and the story kept getting stranger. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! The prices are great and you can walk more than one foot without seeing some adorable little trinket that you just can't live without. Josh is on a mission to find Jos Gaspar's hidden treasure. ", 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. Having spent some time here, Blackbeard built a fort near a swamp west of Charleston. 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.
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