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. The first written account of Gaspar was written in 1900 when the Charlotte . However, like Billy Bowlegs, Jose Gaspar the lack of historical evidence suggests he never existed.21 Although most Tampa residents and several books claim Jose Gaspar was authentic, so far no documentation has proven he was real.22 The Gasparilla Pirate Festival started in 1904, and since it started a full fifty years before the Billy Bowlegs . The parade that follows is one of the largest in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Tampa Bay. He successfully captured a few ships during his years long voyage. There are numerous legends and tales of buried treasure on this island. "Maybe my great-grandparents were pirates," Mike Lopez said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When you go in the attic you expect to find something old. This location is said to be on the southern end at False Live Oak Point. ", 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. Story continues below video. Groups gather in St. Petersburg park to shed light on local violence, Tampas St. Josephs Childrens Hospital holds prom for pediatric patients, Photos: Rays back at Trop in spring game against Twins, Photos: Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic, Photos: New York's Naked Cowboy makes brief appearance in Tampa, Photos: Opening day for the Florida Strawberry Festival, Photos: IndyCar Series takes over streets of St. Petersburg, Hundreds of USF students join statewide walkout to protest DeSantis education policies, Photos: Lightning return home to take on Ducks, Photo Gallery: Family mourns Josiah Pinner during a candlelight vigil. P.S. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. It's located in Florida, United States.A real, albeit, small treasure chest on a real small island. I'm here writing on Treasureunknown to provide helpful resources so others can get out and enjoy the thrill of the hunt! If the legend is true, Gasparilla was extremely successful and plundered more than 400 ships. I was totally blown away," said Lopez. It is said that he buried a multitude of treasure along the Pamlico Sound and on Bluff Point. 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. When Maria and Mike were children, their grandfather would tell them stories about his father, Ernesto Lopez, finding Jose Gaspar's pirate treasure. Plundering the high seas and ports alike resulted in vast riches for some of these ruthless criminals. In 1705 the group was killed by French traders who were tired of being robbed by these men. 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. The story was included in a brochure in 1900 for a hotel on Gasparilla Island, where the pirate supposedly stored his vast treasures in a hidden den that had never been found. In it, she introduced herself and wrote that her parents were. So that's why we believe that it was Juan Gomez. USEPPA ISLAND, Fla. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. And she actually had maps, and she had stories that were passed down to the family about these treasures. This activity is a great way to enjoy some peaceful quite time outdoors or can be a unique experience for 8 Super Fun Family Treasure Hunt Ideas: With Real Treasure. However there is a salacious twist to this tale, in that when this lovely young girl declined his romantic proposition, he had her executed. Treasure hunting can be a fun and exciting activity. You are using an out of date browser. All of it is built around the story of Gaspar. Here Lafitte had a very fair treasure distribution policy that everyone seemed to like. Some say it reveals compass bearings around Lettuce Lake. Or show us love by sharing articles and leaving great comments. Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia: Politician: Capricon: 06 January 1766 AD . JavaScript is disabled. Theyve done this every Sunday for a year, looking for the booty of 19th century pirate Jose Gaspar. Treasure hunter Erin Melcher. Strap yourself in for a wild ride and buy this international bestselling book today! So, a real figure or a tall tale told by Floridians? WFLA | What is Gasparilla? Some speculate that this is remnants of Rogers great treasure. Decipher the code, and you might find some of Gaspars lost treasure but as fast as Florida changes, dont be surprised if you find a new shopping mall sitting square on top of it. These tunnels converged into a large chamber underground. They gave him a first name, Jose Gaspar, and they really gave him the full backstory to create that in 1904. Here are some Metal Detectors for you to start your quest. Gaspar apparently did not share this attraction and instead gave his attention to other women of the court. Jose Gaspar Treasure - Flagler Beach, FL - Yelp Sometime later a large sum of gold coins was found near the Spanish Homestead. What we do know is that he is considered a hero to some and a villain to others. Photos show a centuries-old shipwreck found off Colombia's coast carrying lost treasure worth billions of dollars, including gold coins and emeralds. "Maria came across it and once she told me she found a hand in a box. There are many differing versions about the pirates origins and life, but there is no real historical evidence that he ever existed. There's really no way to know which is the case," Maria wrote, in an email to WTSP-TV. This was around the 1870s, after the Civil War. How did the legend of Gaspar begin? During his 38 year career as a pirate, Gaspar attacked over four hundred ships in the Gulf waters of Florida, including supposedly the vessel carrying $11.75 million in gold bullion that the United States had paid Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase. This is the spot for all of your seaside decorating needs. Shipwrecks: Who owns the treasure hidden under the sea? But Rodney Kite-Powell, a Tampa-Bay curator, doesnt believe that the legendary figure was even real. Deleware holds one more possibility around Woodland Beach. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. Once again our legend states that he hid 3 large chests among a group of trees on San Jose Island. Or they were always togahter. Chasing Treasure: The myth of Gasparilla and the real-life man Juan Gomez It seems the mythical pirate was a tall tale concocted by a man named Juan Gmez. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co | Flagler Beach, FL 32136 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. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Or at least thats what Florida folklore would have you believe. Retail store with the following - shells, shellcraft, wood carvings, shark teeth and jaws,. In the following years, he accumulated a board estimated at $30,000,000. Though he is a popular figure in Florida folklore, no evidence of his existence appears in writing before the early 20th century. Gasparilla Season | Visit Tampa Bay They will be focused on the Florida coastline, right in my back yard. 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. 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. Another report states that he hid several chests in a small river somewhere in the vicinity of the Bay. He apparently helped repeal a British Invasion on New Orleans. Instead, he pursued a merchant ship and insisted that it convey Batista and Ann Jeffries to England and that its captain marry them on board after they were out of sight of his ship, the Jose Gasparilla II. These wealthy civilizations flourished for hundreds of years spreading The legend of pirate Jose Gaspar, or Gasparilla as he is sometimes known, is shrouded in mystery. Just pick any island and start digging, because Gasparillas loot is buried on many of them, including Cayo Pelau. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. I have never found any real evidence he lived. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! The rest of the treasure remains hidden, waiting to be found. (3) The Spanish kept meticulous records and there is no mention of Gasparilla in the archives. Hiding treasure under a well constructed fort is a much more logical thought than those previously mentioned. We lived not far from Gasparella Island and Charlotte Harbour.where the legend supposedly ended. As with any tale of vast hidden riches, these stories can not be 100 percent verified to even exist. Much of his treasure was carried to him up the Peace River. Gilchrist intended to turn the area into a community. 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. What date is Gasparilla 2021? History of Gasparilla: Jos Gaspar & his krewe. One of his ships has been discovered in the waters off of North Carolina and definitely proven to belong to Blackbeard. The pirate, whose full name is Jos Gaspar, is a legend from the 18th and 19th century. The ship contained $1,000,000 in assorted treasure, and should be there today. Professional blogger, rum judge, consultant, marketer, and consumer of blue water beauty. However his name and supposed deeds are still celebrated to this day, not least with the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which began in 1904 in Tampa, Florida, which honors his tale. Friendly down to earth staff. Rogers is said to have hidden huge amounts of gold and silver bars worth a fortune today. They used Barataria Bay in Louisiana as a hub for their enterprise. Find the treasure, don't report it, melt it down or sell it on the black market using a different name. Treasure hunter Stacey Hunt holds an old nail found under the ground on a wetland believed to have lost treasure. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. Sarasota's Michael Gattuso and members of his . 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 300,000 partiers who will swarm the streets Saturday in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate parade won't care. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Another logical location said to hide this cache of valuables is in South Carolina. Is this the hand and treasure of Jose Gaspar? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. Was there really a pirate named Jose Gaspar? Gasparilla: Was the Legendary Spanish Pirate Jose Gaspar Real? We have compiled a list of 11 potential pirate treasure troves left unfound. Most confirm that the "Floridablanca" was the name of his pirate ship and the one that he served upon in the Navy. 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. The city of Tampa hosts a Gasparilla Day each year. The Search for Florida's Lost Pirate - IMDb The author of the pamphlet readily stated that the spectacular tale was a work of fiction with no genuine facts in it. These recommended links below will help you save money and book your trip: We use all the companies listed here or on the resource page. Since the 1870s, treasure hunters have been trying unsuccessfully to crack this code you see below: Some say its Spanish. Lafitte was wanted by the US government for they deemed his acts as piracy, not privateering. In 1897, he purchased land at Boca Grande, an island outpost. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. 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. Some historians say Caesar has between two-and-six million dollars of treasure stashed on Pine Island. Not much is known of his early life before his pirating career. He would then sell these items to local customers in east Texas. Gaspar's legend is one of a murderous, bloodthirsty swashbuckler who stole money from Spain, stole a ship, kidnapped a Spanish Princess, and left a trail of death and gold throughout the high seas. However, even from the first we run into different versions of the story. Mike Lopez tells WFLA that his sister was. The Legend of the Pirate Gasparilla | Coastal History Before deciding to pursue this ship, Gaspar left some of his men behind with the treasure. 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). Shopping, Gift & Specialty Shops. 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. He continued the diving operation, but while they were working, his wife came down with a fever and died. New details have emerged about the San Jose, a Spanish galleon sunk by British ships 300 years ago. Tyrons Landing located between the towns of Wethersfield and Naubuc. Mysterious Pirate Treasure Box Found in Tampa Bay Attic - Cult of Weird He did what all retired people do in Florida he fell ill one day and died. As mentioned above one of the rumored locations for his treasure is on Woodland Beach in Delaware. Jose Gaspar: Myth or Pirate? Quiz | People | 10 Questions - Fun Trivia 10 Lost Treasures in America Waiting to be Found - History Collection 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. 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. In this time Spain controlled a huge swathe of the Americas and Gaspar grew rich. Available at: https://ymkg.com/the-legend-of-jose-gasparilla/. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. Is this your business? 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. Canny readers will already recognize a certain romantic streak in these stories. Wikipedia, 2022. By Geoff Dobson. "Possibly keep it forever. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. 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. "I'm considering it. jose gaspar, coins, and treasuremap found. Louisiana makes sense because during most of his time here, he was considered a fugitive by the US. Just like most pirates, there is little known about his early life. https://www.cultofweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/pirate-treasure-hand.jpg, https://www.cultofweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cultofweird-new-logo.png, Mysterious Pirate Treasure Box Found in Tampa Bay Attic, February 17, 2023 - 9:45 pm by dEBRINA bLACKMOON. 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. His fleet would capture vessels at sea, and take all the goods back to Galveston. Mysterious box containing a map, coins and a mummified hand found in Tampa Bay attic. His ship was scuttled in the battle sending the valuables to the bottom of the ocean. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Lesser and Greater Antilles / Windward and Leeward Islands What is What? Leaving soon? 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. 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, 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. Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. 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 . The items found by his sister were neatly packed inside a wooden box. They took the box to a few antique stores around Tampa and the contents were described as "gruesome and authentic.". The Pirates of Charlotte Harbor This particular lost treasure consists of a bunch of silver coins, ingots and even pieces of jewelry. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, no pirate was more feared in the southern United States than Jose Gaspar. Read another story from us:Norways Saint Olaf Uncovered: Archaeologists Believe They have Discovered the Shrine of the Lost Viking King. We have seven maps.". Latest Blog . The 300,000 partiers who will swarm the streets Saturday in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate parade wont care. The pirate, whose full name is Jos Gaspar, is a legend from the 18th and 19th century. Who created the man who is now a legend? " Mar 2021 We really enjoyed shopping here! GC3FZAF Jose Gaspar (Traditional Cache) in Florida, United States When Maria and Mike were children, their grandfather would tell them stories about his father, Ernesto Lopez, finding Jose Gaspar's pirate treasure. "You'll hear more of us, you know; we'll do this until we're old and, you know, can't do it anymore.". The team used metal detectors and shovels but didn't find anything. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The poem, maps, comments from other searchers, and other guides to finding the treasure are online and easy to find. Subsequent retellings of the Gaspar tale are based on this imaginative account, including the unintentional inclusion of Jos Gaspar in a 1923 book on genuine pirates, which has created ongoing debate regarding his historical veracity. "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. According to archives, the island community was created by Albert W. Gilchrist, Floridas 20th governor. 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). 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. 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. Still, it was not very soon after that, that Tampa captured that myth," Kite-Powell said. The story of the famed pirate may have been the tall tale of a U.S. naval officer. Gaspar's Brew: A cup of treasure - Joffrey's Hand in Tampa Attic Stirs Up Memories of Dread Pirate Gaspar Florida's Pirate Jose Gaspar and his Treasure Story Treasure on Sunken Spanish Galleon Could Be Biggest Ever - History You must log in or register to reply here. Blackbeard also spend some time in North Carolina, in fact he secured a Royal Pardon in the town of Bath. 6 reviews of Jose Gaspar Treasure "This sweet little shell shop is nestled in along A1A and the beautiful Atlantic shoreline. 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. He wished to return to America to retrieve this treasure after Kidds execution but he never made it back. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. 2119 N Oceanshore Blvd. . This characterization continues through the stories of Gasparilla as a pirate. 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. Toward the end of his pirate career, Bowlegs was being pursued by an English warship. A unique legend of pirate treasure in Indiana is intriguing. Youll read about many that are hidden and a few that were found, so it can happen. The American Government then decided to get into the act and sent a Navy squadron to end his career. It's located on the north side of town, next door to the Turtle Shack cafe. 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. So it would seem that Gasparilla is a fiction, no more real a figure than Mickey Mouse. Legend states they marked a tree by driving a sword into it.

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