Save. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The story states that Rogers discovered these lost tunnels and used them to store his treasure. Sign up for our WTFF Newsletter to get weird Florida news delivered straight to your email: WTFF News: Because regular news is depressing. (story from treasurelore.com). Answer: True This is an area where the stories of Gaspar are for once consistent. What date is Gasparilla 2021? Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. link to A Beginners Guide to Magnet Fishing: 15 Sure Fire Tips. Several local antique stores described the contents of the box as authentic and gruesome, though a Tampa Bay historian says they do not appear to be genuine Spanish coins. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. Is this your business? First of all there was a Spanish Catholic missionary named Gasparillo that had a mission on the island that bears his name. 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. Who created the man who is now a legend? All had been going along fine for Gasparilla until the year 1822. 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). It may not display this or other websites correctly. Despite its long history, there is no definitive origin of the name. Most stories agree he was an aristocratic Spanish Navy Officer who later. Some speculate that this is remnants of Rogers great treasure. Treasure Unknown is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. When it comes to the legend of Jose Gaspar, Diff told us to "be cautious that the information you present as there are lots of versions of this story and everyone's version is 'true.' The San Jose galleon was believed to have been . The team searched the waters at low tide for a canon buried in the sand. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by, Jose Gaspar is not the only mythical pirate character that has. His fleet would capture vessels at sea, and take all the goods back to Galveston. His death seems to come straight from Hollywood. Jean Lafitte. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. My grandfather had a book on all these when I was younger. The family thinks the hand belongs to famous Tampa Bay pirate Jose Gaspar. 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. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. Pirate treasure rumors. Inside, bound to the box by copper wire, she found a dessicated hand wearing a ring with the word "Gaspar" on . Mike Lopez tells WFLA that his sister was. Old Hand Found In Florida Attic With Coins And Treasure Map. He has taken his place in local folklore and culture and has an annual festival in his honor. Josh is on a mission to find Jos Gaspar's hidden treasure. "Possibly keep it forever. Jos Gaspar. 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. The allures of Jose Gaspar's mythical treasure and Tampa's giant pirate parade have pulled strongly on producers of reality television lately. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, no pirate was more feared in the southern United States than Jose Gaspar. Dropa Stones: Are They 12,000 Year Old Discs? 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. Or show us love by sharing articles and leaving great comments. 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. 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 headquarters were at Boca Grande, on what is today known as Gasparilla Island. Other than news articles, the first story ever published in print about the Story of Gasparilla was commissioned by the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad. $ 6 reviews. A Florida family may have discovered some unusual treasure belonging to legendary pirate Jose "Gasparilla" Gaspar. Name of The Day. To learn more, visit our. He finally returned with his wife to find all but a handful of his crew had died. 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. In the late 1600s a Scottish sailor named William Kidd came to America. His piratical career always starts with an injustice and he is seen as a lovable rogue rather than a murderous monster. A team of treasure hunters could be on the verge of unearthing the "world's largest treasure hoard," said to be worth over $20 billion. I love this place built around 1640 . 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 flagship was eventually ran aground and he was ultimately killed by English warships off the East Coast of America. In fact, we dont even know for certain his real name. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. It appears Philip Gosse got the story from Bradlee's book. Here is what we have been able to piece together about this controversial pirate. The parade that follows is one of the largest in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Tampa Bay. Evidently, though, the treasure is not. This hoard was allegedly buried by a group of pirates in the early 1800s. Do secret rooms conceal unknown treasures? His sister found a box in their grandfather's attic in Tampa, Fla., a few weeks ago while doing some spring cleaning. However, if they do, they are still up for grabs. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. If we find that buried treasure together, we can split the booty among all of our readers and we never have to work again. As with any treasure hunting adventure, be sure and obtain permission from any applicable parties before your hunt begins. The Legend of Jose Gaspar. So are you juiced up and just caught the gold fever? Once it was in print, people kept spreading it as absolute truth. The first written account of Gaspar was written in 1900 when the Charlotte . The team used metal detectors and shovels but didn't find anything. Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. Spending most of his time here and running a larger business would provide ample opportunity and necessity to hide valuables. The tale of pirate captain Jos Gaspar who, according to the stories, ravaged the west coast of Spanish Florida for 40 years is the inspiration for a bombastic plundering that continues from 1905. I'm Clint, the guy behind Treasureunknown. A treasure said to be worth $30 million. They bribed the owner with some of the treasure to not divulge their location. 3. We also participate in programs from eBay, CJ, Bluehost, Clickbank, ShareASale, and other sites. Go find it, unbury it, take tons of pictures, bury it back again, and prove to the world that you found it. The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure is a gripping, heart-pounding action adventure that's akin to a modern-day Indiana Jones story. However, he spotted a British merchant ship and could not resist one final prize. This endeavor lasted only about 5 years when the us army came to visit Lafitte, asking him to leave. There's really no way to know which is the case," Maria wrote, in an email to WTSP-TV. 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. Did Grandpa find pirate treasure? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Interesting history topics are just a click away. 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). The pirate, whose full name is Jos Gaspar, is a legend from the 18th and 19th century. Was there really a pirate named Jose Gaspar? We" more 2. He did what all retired people do in Florida he fell ill one day and died. We have one with Gomez's name on it. There are many differing versions about the pirates origins and life, but there is no real historical evidence that he ever existed. The items found by his sister were neatly packed inside a wooden box. Latest Blog . Our knowledge of Jean and his brother Pierre begins in the early 1800s. Mike Lopez said his sister was not expecting to find a human hand, a treasure map, and gold coins. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Source of the stories which became inspiration for the legend of Jose Gaspar. The most famous Florida pirate was Jos Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla. 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. Captured ladies were not raped and murdered, but instead had the option of marrying one of his crew members or being transferred to Captiva Island in Florida. He has taken his place in local folklore and culture and has an annual festival in his honor. (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. The Real Treasure Hunters have come a long way from social media in their hunt for the treasure of Jose Gaspar in the Peace River. 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. ", "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. Named for legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar, who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the 18th and early 19th centuries, Tampa Bay's destination-wide annual Gasparilla celebration kicks off each January with a full schedule of exciting pirate-themed events. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. When Maria and Mike were children, their grandfather would tell them stories about his father, Ernesto Lopez, finding Jose Gaspar's pirate treasure. You are using an out of date browser. (386) 439-3061. The rest of the treasure remains hidden, waiting to be found. The map is estimated to be from the 1930s and shows the Tampa area. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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. "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. 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. He continued the diving operation, but while they were working, his wife came down with a fever and died. 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. The prices seem lower, but not my thing. The 300,000 partiers who will swarm the streets Saturday in Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate parade won't care. Bald Point is another hotspot but for rumors of pirate treasure. We will discuss a few of them here. Finally Pirates Cove, which is on the southern tip of Connecticut may house these valuable chests. The Search for Florida's Lost Pirate: With Josh Gates, Shamus Warren, Rodney Kite-Powell, Michael Gattuso. For one, there is no evidence of his pirate empire. It's located on the north side of town, next door to the Turtle Shack cafe. 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 . Marias brother Mike believes the couple in the photo may be their great grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez. The author of the pamphlet readily stated that the spectacular tale was a work of fiction with no genuine facts in it. Do you think there's buried treasure out there? Some historians say Caesar has between two-and-six million dollars of treasure stashed on Pine Island. " Mar 2021 We really enjoyed shopping here! The vessel was said to be transporting gold, silver and precious gems collected in the South . There have been many stories told of treasure Captain Kidd buried back in America. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Wikipedia, 2022. It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. We are constantly looking for opportunities to metal detect, magnet fish, pan for gold, and search for real life lost treasures. JavaScript is disabled. What Became of Anne Bonny, Irish Pirate of the Caribbean? It's located in Florida, United States.A real, albeit, small treasure chest on a real small island. He was well-liked in court, but when he abandoned one lover for another, his spurned lover falsely accused him of stealing the crown jewels. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. 2119 N Oceanshore Blvd. 1 Review #9 of 11 Shopping in Flagler Beach. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. Deleware holds one more possibility around Woodland Beach. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. He soon picked a good spot in Charlotte Harbor, and began to build his pirate kingdom. 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 . Lets do this. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Rumors take on a life of their own and ultimately cause hurt or expense. Gasparilla, if he existed, wrapped himself in chain and jumped overboard with both hands still attached. There are a few pirates who may have hidden treasure at this spot, including Billy. 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. A couple of his rancher buddies found him and buried him. Just . 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. 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. Texas is also a logical location for this pirate to bury treasure. I'm here writing on Treasureunknown to provide helpful resources so others can get out and enjoy the thrill of the hunt!