First of all there was a Spanish Catholic missionary named Gasparillo that had a mission on the island that bears his name. Oak Island: Legends of Pirates and Treasure, Barbarossa the Pirate: Scourge of the Mediterranean, Flying Dutchman: Phantom Ship, Legend and Sightings, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gaspar, https://www.wfla.com/news/gasparilla/history-of-gasparilla-jose-gaspar-his-krewe/, https://ymkg.com/the-legend-of-jose-gasparilla/. 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. Finally Pirates Cove, which is on the southern tip of Connecticut may house these valuable chests. When Gasparilla requested that they accompany him and his crew on a raid, the two young lovers assumed they would be slaughtered. And that's what we've been chasing. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Our knowledge of Jean and his brother Pierre begins in the early 1800s. Location & Hours 2119 N Oceanshore Blvd Flagler Beach, FL 32136 Get directions Edit business info You Might Also Consider Sponsored Purple Haze 22 23.4 miles away from Jose Gaspar Treasure Marcus E. said "Hand crafted glass smoking utensils. Legend has it that in the late 1700s, a pirate named Jose Gaspar kidnapped the Spanish princess Joseffa de Mayorga. 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. Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla (supposedly lived c. 1756 - 1821), was a purported Spanish pirate, the "last of the Buccaneer s," who is claimed to have raided the west coast of Florida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 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). Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by, Jose Gaspar is not the only mythical pirate character that has. This location is said to be on the southern end at False Live Oak Point. Mysterious box containing a map, coins and a mummified hand found in Tampa Bay attic. Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. 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. There are at least 3 different locations said to hold his riches in Connecticut. Not being able to pass up this giant score, he pursed the ship that was flying a British flag. Despite his brutal reputation, Gasparilla was supposed to have a soft side as well. The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure is a gripping, heart-pounding action adventure that's akin to a modern-day Indiana Jones story. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gaspar, Sachs, S, 2022. 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. 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. 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. When it comes to spring cleaning, its always nice to have a spare hand to help. 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. Once he was a few hundred meters away, the British flag came down and the American flag rose up the mast. Inside was a tattered map of the Hillsborough River, century-old coins, a family picture and a hand wearing a ring. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. Shopping, Gift & Specialty Shops. Tales of love and marriage, an aristocratic captain with nobility in his crew, a handsome and debonair adventurer: all these stories seem too good to be true. Wikipedia, 2022. Tales of pirate treasures are very difficult to substantiate due to many factors. Legend has it that Gasparilla spotted a huge ship sailing in the distance. Website. "You'll hear more of us, you know; we'll do this until we're old and, you know, can't do it anymore.". Upon returning he discovered that he had been labeled a pirate by the British government. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. All rights reserved. wtfflorida.com/information/gaspars-lost-treasure/. Mike Lopez said his sister was not expecting to find a human hand, a treasure map, and gold coins. "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. 2119 N Oceanshore Blvd. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Or show us love by sharing articles and leaving great comments. A band of pirates in Wisconsin operated out of a cave on Hermit island. The author of the pamphlet readily stated that the spectacular tale was a work of fiction with no genuine facts in it. The brochure relied heavily on the stories told by John Gomez. Answer: True This is an area where the stories of Gaspar are for once consistent. Canny readers will already recognize a certain romantic streak in these stories. "Possibly keep it forever. We have one with Gomez's name on it. Gasparilla not only granted Lopez permission but also bestowed his blessing on his long-time friend, providing a ship and several men to accompany him back to Spain. Jose Gaspar Treasure Company | Flagler Beach FL I'm Clint, the guy behind Treasureunknown. Most, if not all, historians agree the pirate named Jose Gaspar never existed. The choice of the navy career wasn't courage and thirst for adventure on the part of Jose but an expediency of the moment. The latter two locations being the most logical. The Gaspar myth in the very beginning was tied to the Charlotte Harbor area. So are you juiced up and just caught the gold fever? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. It's a Small size geocache, with difficulty of 3.5, terrain of 5. The first written account of Gaspar was written in 1900 when the Charlotte . You must log in or register to reply here. 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. 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. Another instance of his softer side can be found in the account of Ann Jeffries, an English girl traveling from New Orleans to Liverpool. However, even from the first we run into different versions of the story. Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia: Politician: Capricon: 06 January 1766 AD . If we find that buried treasure together, we can split the booty among all of our readers and we never have to work again. Name of The Day. His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed. Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. Some more information on the cruise of the USS, I did not find a reference to Gaspar in Gardner Allen's, I was always Told Jose Gaspar, was also known as Juan Gomez. Over and out from somewhere south, RumShopRyan. Another report states that he hid several chests in a small river somewhere in the vicinity of the Bay. They took the box to a few antique stores. (story from treasurelore.com). Gaspar was a rebel from an aristocratic upbringing. Who created the man who is now a legend? Marias brother Mike believes the couple in the photo may be their great grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez. Treasure hunter Erin Melcher. Legends tell how he amassed a huge fortune, and hid an enormous treasure before dying a hero facing the might of the US Navy. "We do have some treasure maps, and we're working on them," Gattuso said. Crystal and I greatly appreciate any support! But Rodney Kite-Powell, a Tampa-Bay curator, doesnt believe that the legendary figure was even real. 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. 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. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f2/ferret-iii.htm, Florida's Pirate Jose Gaspar and his Treasure Story. jose gaspar, coins, and treasuremap found. 1. Many say he buried treasure here during this time. What year did Gasparilla start? While in Florida, Caesar palled up with Jose Gaspar, better known as "Gasparilla.". He soon picked a good spot in Charlotte Harbor, and began to build his pirate kingdom. 2. In the following years, he accumulated a board estimated at $30,000,000. If marriage was selected, there would be a ceremony, and the marriage promise would be strictly enforced. Since the 1870s, treasure hunters have been trying unsuccessfully to crack this code you see below: Some say its Spanish. His sister found a box in their grandfather's attic in Tampa, Fla., a few weeks ago while doing some spring cleaning. A treasure said to be worth $30 million. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Canceled2021 Gasparilla Pirate Festival / Date Box allegedly containing Gaspars hand and related items Photo Credit. Here are some Metal Detectors for you to start your quest. They took the box to a few antique stores around Tampa and the contents were described as "gruesome and authentic.". The prices seem lower, but not my thing. He spent nearly 30 years plundering ships in and around the gulf coast. There is a new book out "Pirates of Southwest Florida, Fact and Legend" by James F. and Sarah Jane Kaserman that debunks some of the stories of Gasparilla. The most famous Florida pirate was Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla. The San Jose, a Spanish treasure ship, was attacked and sunk by a British warship in June 1708. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. But Gasparilla himself did not survive the final battle. It seems the mythical pirate was a tall tale concocted by a man named Juan Gmez. 128 were here. When Jose Gaspar died, he supposedly left an untold fortune in buried treasure somewhere along the Florida coast. 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Was there really a pirate named Jose Gaspar? 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. All my curanderos, check out the first word on the second line play the song below for inspiration: Please support WTFFlorida.com by making a donation. 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. Flagler Beach, FL 32136. 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. Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla (supposedly lived c. Other than news articles, the first story ever published in print about the Story of Gasparilla was commissioned by the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad. Available at: https://ymkg.com/the-legend-of-jose-gasparilla/. A few years later, he fell out of favor with the government and turned to a life of piracy. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. What year did Jose Gaspar invade Tampa? But treasure hunters believe there is truth in his tall tale, and buried treasure is out there. When he finally realized that it was a warship, it was too late. Here Lafitte had a very fair treasure distribution policy that everyone seemed to like. Afterwards, he sailed his ship, the Floridablanca, to the Gulf Coast and set up a pirate base on what is now known as Gasparilla Island in Southwest Florida. What we do know is that he is considered a hero to some and a villain to others. These stories and locations presented are based on our research but should be taken with some skepticism. Latest Blog . Lopez wasn't a fan of pirates when he was growing up. He claimed to be one of the few crew members to escape a fateful attack by American pirate hunting schooner USS Enterprise in 1821. "They were the ones that profited from the story to attract visitors to their new train stop and hotel (Gasparilla Inn)," Crystal Diff, Executive Director of the Boca Grande Historical Society and History Center, wrote in an email. 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. Hiding treasure under a well constructed fort is a much more logical thought than those previously mentioned. 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 eventually retired and settled down on Shell Creek near Lettuce Lake in DeSoto County, where he lived for many years. To add more to the story, the treasure map contained the name of the infamous mythical pirate Gaspar. 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. (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. 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 .