Debbie gave us a great tip to hide the tooth in the sand and make our son think he found it. 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). He quickly worked his way up the ranks of the Spanish Navy and became an officer. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. It's part of our family now.". 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These stories really get your imagination scrambling about finding buried riches yourself. It appears Philip Gosse got the story from Bradlee's book. He supposedly buried 3 chests under a palm tree somewhere in the vicinity. Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia: Politician: Capricon: 06 January 1766 AD . Since the 1870s, treasure hunters have been trying unsuccessfully to crack this code you see below: Some say its Spanish. Story continues below video. Strap yourself in for a wild ride and buy this international bestselling book today! History Gattuso will keep them busy on Useppa and across Florida. How did the legend of Gaspar begin? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Lets do this. Upon returning he discovered that he had been labeled a pirate by the British government. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, no pirate was more feared in the southern United States than Jose Gaspar. But Gasparilla himself did not survive the final battle. 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. Canny readers will already recognize a certain romantic streak in these stories. Dropa Stones: Are They 12,000 Year Old Discs? The map is estimated to be from the 1930s and shows the Tampa area. So it is a huge, huge draw for people to come to Tampa.". After that, they searched his cabin and found a jar of gold coins and a small sheet of copper engraved with a code indicating the location of buried treasure. Barnes & Noble Booksellers 10 Bookstores Music & DVDs Toy Stores JOSE GASPAR: Kern County makes history, and in a good way Dec 18, 2022 The 8-year-old student was curios so she wrote a letter. Jos Gaspar. What Became of Anne Bonny, Irish Pirate of the Caribbean? Find the treasure, don't report it, melt it down or sell it on the black market using a different name. When Gasparilla requested that they accompany him and his crew on a raid, the two young lovers assumed they would be slaughtered. was reading about Jose Gaspar aka Gasparilla Pirate and one story tells of his friend Roderigo Lopez wanting to leave the Pirate life and Gaspar helped him leave, so it seems Maria Lopez great great grandfather may have been Roderigo. The men were executed but Gomez was to be the final survivor of this piratical outfit. Jos Gaspar allegedly lived between 1756 and 1821 and was based on southwest Florida, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Ye be walkin the plank if ye so think. Some say it reveals compass bearings around Lettuce Lake. Did Grandpa find pirate treasure? He then sailed back across the world, landing on what we now know as our home of Tampa Bay. If the legend is true, Gasparilla was extremely successful and plundered more than 400 ships. Ancient Viking treasures found in England actually seems to be a thing, as many of relative value have been found throughout the years. Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. We also participate in programs from eBay, CJ, Bluehost, Clickbank, ShareASale, and other sites. The Gaspar myth in the very beginning was tied to the Charlotte Harbor area. 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. 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. 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 The city of Tampa hosts a Gasparilla Day each year. We actually located the great great, great, great-granddaughter of Juan Gomez. Upon hearing this news, he unloaded his spoils and set sail for America (where he was later arrested and sent back to England). Rogers lost interest in the hunt after this and it is said he lived near his treasure to guard it for the remainder of his life. Kidd set sail for England and was commissioned as a privateer by the English government. You'll need a boat or kayak for this cache. The story goes that Lafitte and his men used an old barn on LeBleau Plantation as a gathering location and perhaps buried treasure here. And that's what we've been chasing. What date is Gasparilla 2021? The prices seem lower, but not my thing. He soon picked a good spot in Charlotte Harbor, and began to build his pirate kingdom. In the 1690s a war broke out between England and France. So where did Blackbeard hide his treasures? When Jose Gaspar died, he supposedly left an untold fortune in buried treasure somewhere along the Florida coast. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. Jose was also an officer of high standing in the naval affairs of the Spaniards. Also check state and local regulations before you begin any activities such as digging or metal detecting. We thought that was awesome. "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. Tampa family finds pirate treasure in grandpa's attic Box found in Tampa attic has coins, a map, a hand and a mystery - WFLA News Channel 8 Share or comment on this article: Tampa family finds. Jose Gaspar Treasure Company | Flagler Beach FL ", "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. ", 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. The gold coins were too thin and too old to pass as authentic Spanish treasure. 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. Pirate Photo byScott UmstattdonUnsplash, Lafitte Photo By Anonymous Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas, Public Domain, Skully Photo byLuke SouthernonUnsplash. Most confirm that the "Floridablanca" was the name of his pirate ship and the one that he served upon in the Navy. In Polish origin the meaning of name Gaspar is : Treasure keeper Spanish Meaning : The name Gaspar is an Spanish baby name. Sarasota's Michael Gattuso and members of his . ", 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. There are numerous tales and stories of pirate treasures hidden thought the world, some of which are not attributed to any particular pirate. You must log in or register to reply here. And she actually had maps, and she had stories that were passed down to the family about these treasures. Just pick any island and start digging, because Gasparillas loot is buried on many of them, including Cayo Pelau. The eerie discovery of a mysterious wooden box bearing a disembodied mummified hand with a ring on the wedding ring finger, an old map of the Tampa area and several coins has stirred up memories of pirate Jose Gaspar. To learn more, visit our. What you don't expect to find is treasure. Starting in 1911, though, the event's founders, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, switched . His piratical career always starts with an injustice and he is seen as a lovable rogue rather than a murderous monster. Gilchrist intended to turn the area into a community. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The story states that Rogers discovered these lost tunnels and used them to store his treasure. Rather than be captured by the United States Navy, he wrapped an anchor chain around his leg and jumped overboard, the heavy metal dragging him out of sight into the deep blue waters. However there is a salacious twist to this tale, in that when this lovely young girl declined his romantic proposition, he had her executed. Accept Read More. Source: Theartofphoto / Adobe Stock. He was wanted until 1815 when opinion of him changed. Caesar was forced to push his pirate pack north to the Gulf of Mexico. Overview. 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. 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. For one, there is no evidence of his pirate empire. One day Gasparilla prepared to attack a merchantman, but to his surprise, it turned out to be a United States man-of-war. As mentioned above one of the rumored locations for his treasure is on Woodland Beach in Delaware. Many of the stories about Gasparilla were attributed to Juan Gomez. The parade that follows is one of the largest in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Tampa Bay. They used Barataria Bay in Louisiana as a hub for their enterprise. His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. There is not much known about his adventures in Florida but there is rumors of him hiding a large treasure around Choctawatchee Bay. However, even from the first we run into different versions of the story. Perhaps this suggested location is merely a case in mistaken identity. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Gaspar realized in this moment that he had found the treasure he was searching for. CBS affiliate WPEC-TV reported that 43-year-old treasure hunter Jonah Martinez located the coins using a . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Strap yourself in for a wild ride and buy this international bestselling book today! 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. The Search for Florida's Lost Pirate: With Josh Gates, Shamus Warren, Rodney Kite-Powell, Michael Gattuso. They took the box to a few antique stores. From seashells to lost treasure, this shop has it all. $ 6 reviews. A Tampa, Florida family going through their grandparent's attic made an interesting discovery: a treasure map, some coins, and an old human hand! This tale doesnt give the Lopezes a helping hand in solving the mystery of the finds from their grandparents attic. Most of the suspected locations are in and around the state of Florida. 6 reviews of Jose Gaspar Treasure "This sweet little shell shop is nestled in along A1A and the beautiful Atlantic shoreline. Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. 2 chests are also rumored to be buried on Clarkes Island on the Connecticut River. He has taken his place in local folklore and culture and has an annual festival in his honor. 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 . 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. Santa Rosa Island has been sort of a local hotspot for finding bags of gold and silver coins. The 300,000 partiers who will swarm the streets Saturday in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate parade won't care. Aged Rum. When he finally realized that it was a warship, it was too late. Answer: True This is an area where the stories of Gaspar are for once consistent. We" more 2. Finally Pirates Cove, which is on the southern tip of Connecticut may house these valuable chests. Do secret rooms conceal unknown treasures? USEPPA ISLAND, Fla. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. But treasure hunters believe there is truth in his tall tale, and buried treasure is out there. May 4, 1904Gasparilla Pirate Festival / First event date. His treasure might have been on the ship with him during this battle. "We go after Juan Gomez because everything, all the treasures and everything we've come through, is tied to him. He is even said to have buried treasure somewhere on the island near where the lighthouse now stands. Hiding treasure under a well constructed fort is a much more logical thought than those previously mentioned. 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. Mike Lopez tells WFLA that his sister was. Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla (supposedly lived c. Here Lafitte had a very fair treasure distribution policy that everyone seemed to like. 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 . Jos Gaspar, also known by his nickname Gasparilla , is an apocryphal Spanish pirate who terrorized the Gulf of Mexico from his base in southwest Florida during Florida's second Spanish period . 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. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f2/ferret-iii.htm, Florida's Pirate Jose Gaspar and his Treasure Story. We will discuss a few of them here. 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 . Theyve done this every Sunday for a year, looking for the booty of 19th century pirate Jose Gaspar. The American Government then decided to get into the act and sent a Navy squadron to end his career. I'm Clint, the guy behind Treasureunknown. Another instance of his softer side can be found in the account of Ann Jeffries, an English girl traveling from New Orleans to Liverpool. JavaScript is disabled. His fleet would capture vessels at sea, and take all the goods back to Galveston. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Save. Similar Names. The Story of Jose Gaspar Jos Gaspar allegedly lived between 1756 and 1821 and was based on southwest Florida, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. His sister found a box in their grandfather's attic in Tampa, Fla., a few weeks ago while doing some spring cleaning. Spending most of his time here and running a larger business would provide ample opportunity and necessity to hide valuables. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. There are a few theories as to the location of a hidden treasure by Lafitte in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. There are numerous legends and tales of buried treasure on this island. He was sentenced to prison and eventually released. RECOMMENDED: The legend of Jose Gaspar and the history of Gasparilla. He then tied himself to an anchor and jumped in the ocean disappearing for all time.