Find the treasure, don't report it, melt it down or sell it on the black market using a different name. 2119 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136-2802. The Story of Gasparilla by ABC Action News on Scribd. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Cleaning the dreaded attic turned up a darling wedding photo of the Lopezes grandparents, but it also uncovered some interesting but creepy finds. Spending most of his time here and running a larger business would provide ample opportunity and necessity to hide valuables. Rumors take on a life of their own and ultimately cause hurt or expense. He continued the diving operation, but while they were working, his wife came down with a fever and died. He was sentenced to prison and eventually released. The American Continents have a rich treasure history dating back to ancient civilizations of the Toltecs and Aztecs who understood the mining and smelting of gold and silver from which they made ornaments shields and household utensils. 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. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. 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. 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. All had been going along fine for Gasparilla until the year 1822. No contemporaneous mention of his existence or achievements has ever been found in Spanish or American ship logs, court documents, newspapers, or other archives, and no tangible items associated with Gaspar have been unearthed in the area where he is said to have operated. Legend states they marked a tree by driving a sword into it. In different accounts, details of his early life, motivations, and activities varied. Lafayette Street, which is now Kennedy Boulevard is also labeled on the map. 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. In fact, we dont even know for certain his real name. JavaScript is disabled. The San Jose galleon was believed to have been . 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. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! CBS affiliate WPEC-TV reported that 43-year-old treasure hunter Jonah Martinez located the coins using a . His men, who numbered in the hundreds, also buried their smaller caches on these islands. Chasing Treasure: The myth of Gasparilla and the real-life man Juan Gomez. This location is said to be on the southern end at False Live Oak Point. A Tampa, Florida family going through their grandparent's attic made an interesting discovery: a treasure map, some coins, and an old human hand! He would then sell these items to local customers in east Texas. 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. Icelanders and the Huldufolk: A Nation Gripped by Farinis Great Discovery: Is there a Lost City Top Ten Knights of King Arthurs Round Table. "We are not sure what we're going to do with it," said Lopez. We lived not far from Gasparella Island and Charlotte Harbour.where the legend supposedly ended. The treasure: Slave-turned-pirate Henri Caesar stole a ship in Haiti to seek his fortune on the Spanish Main and Florida waters. But treasure hunters believe there is truth in his tall tale, and buried treasure is out there. You must log in or register to reply here. A couple of his rancher buddies found him and buried him. Kidd set sail for England and was commissioned as a privateer by the English government. 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. USEPPA ISLAND, Fla. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. This hoard was allegedly buried by a group of pirates in the early 1800s. Charlotte Harbor is an ideal spot to go treasure hunting. 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. Treasure hunter and researcher Lauren Gattuso sits on the boat as it heads toward an area where her and a small group of treasure hunters believe lies lost treasure. So that's why we believe that it was Juan Gomez. According to the sources we studied, Gaspar was probably born in Spain in 1756. But Gasparilla himself did not survive the final battle. Our knowledge of Jean and his brother Pierre begins in the early 1800s. "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. My grandfather had a book on all these when I was younger. 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 . "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. The poem, maps, comments from other searchers, and other guides to finding the treasure are online and easy to find. Ill post one a week Treasure Tuesdaysthis that lame? Whilst swimming in Key West, he and a team of specialists find a huge anchor that may have been from Gaspar's vessel. Strap yourself in for a wild ride and buy this international bestselling book today! 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. I was totally blown away," said Lopez. 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. Or they were always togahter. Once again our legend states that he hid 3 large chests among a group of trees on San Jose Island. But the idea of a pirate named Gasparilla (or some variant) goes way back. According to the story, Gaspar had underestimated the USS Enterprise as an easy target. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. "But, what we believe is that Juan Gomez had ties to him. Find the treasure, report it, and go to jail for committing a 3rd Degree Felony. Similar Names. The map is estimated to be from the 1930s and shows the Tampa area. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". First of all there was a Spanish Catholic missionary named Gasparillo that had a mission on the island that bears his name. 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The final and perhaps most intriguing possibility is around the Spanish Fort San Carlos in Pensacola. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. When he was wrongfully arrested, he hijacked a ship and fled, promising to seek revenge on his homeland. Jose Gaspar Treasure 2119 N Ocean Shore Blvd Flagler Beach FL 32136 (386) 439-3061 Claim this business (386) 439-3061 Website More Directions Advertisement Photos See More Hours Wed: 11am - 5pm Thu: 11am - 5pm Fri: 11am - 5pm Sat: 11am - 5pm Sun: 12pm - 5pm Website Take me there Jewelers Nice Shell Shop. Another instance of his softer side can be found in the account of Ann Jeffries, an English girl traveling from New Orleans to Liverpool. When Jose Gaspar died, he supposedly left an untold fortune in buried treasure somewhere along the Florida coast. Jose Gaspar (GC3FZAF) was created by seabreezedrive on 4/1/2012. Just a salty pirate looking to explore and document the wonders of the Caribbean. 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. Buumi . The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. When you go in the attic you expect to find something old. Inside, bound to the box by copper wire, she found a dessicated hand wearing a ring with the word "Gaspar" on . The race of the old buccaneer was nearly run, but all through that night, he told a story of piracy that could scarce be believed, yet it was a dying man that was clearing his soul before his Maker. 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." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); If anybody wants to start a treasure seach team, WTF Florida? Lets do this. Barnes & Noble Booksellers 10 Bookstores Music & DVDs Toy Stores His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed. The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure is a gripping, heart-pounding action adventure that's akin to a modern-day Indiana Jones story. jose gaspar, coins, and treasuremap found. It was done for tourism purposes," Gattuso said. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Sign up for our WTFF Newsletter to get weird Florida news delivered straight to your email: WTFF News: Because regular news is depressing. A few years later, he fell out of favor with the government and turned to a life of piracy. The latter two locations being the most logical. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. Or at least thats what Florida folklore would have you believe. Enjoy. Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. These stories and locations presented are based on our research but should be taken with some skepticism. The pirate, whose full name is Jos Gaspar, is a legend from the 18th and 19th century. However, perhaps the most famous story of Gaspar concerns his death. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. It seems the mythical pirate was a tall tale concocted by a man named Juan Gmez. (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. Jean Lafitte. By Geoff Dobson. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Supposedly this fort had hidden tunnels leading under the fort. He supposedly buried large amounts of treasures on the islands around the bay. The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure is a gripping, heart-pounding action adventure that's akin to a modern-day Indiana Jones story. So it would seem that Gasparilla is a fiction, no more real a figure than Mickey Mouse. 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. Spain and Great Britain were adversaries in the complex tangle of European politics . Jose Gaspar has come in handy for parades and celebrations. Finding a real human hand is probably not what the Lopezes had in mind, but thats exactly what this family from Florida found in their grandparents attic. The most famous Florida pirate was Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla. To learn more, visit our. He then sailed back across the world, landing on what we now know as our home of Tampa Bay. Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla (supposedly lived c. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. 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. Pirate Photo byScott UmstattdonUnsplash, Lafitte Photo By Anonymous Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas, Public Domain, Skully Photo byLuke SouthernonUnsplash. This action helped turn opinion of Lafitte from villain to hero. 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. Just pick any island and start digging, because Gasparillas loot is buried on many of them, including Cayo Pelau. This is believed to be part of the bribe money given to the owner. It appears Philip Gosse got the story from Bradlee's book. "I'm considering it. ", "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. We will discuss a few of them here. This treasure as well as the tunnels remain lost. Flagler Beach, FL 32136. Texas is also a logical location for this pirate to bury treasure. Deleware holds one more possibility around Woodland Beach. P.S. After sustaining heavy damage, the famed Spanish pirate tied himself to his anchor and leaped to his watery death apparently not wanting to be killed at the hands of the enemy. 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. Definitely try, Find our recommended Caribbean hotels, restaurants, charters, & tours. This characterization continues through the stories of Gasparilla as a pirate. What he thought was a British cargo ship turned out to be the USS Enterprise, on a mission to end piracy. Gaspar caught wind of his coming doom, and escaped via ship to America.
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