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. For one, there is no evidence of his pirate empire. 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. Having spent some time here, Blackbeard built a fort near a swamp west of Charleston. Available at: https://ymkg.com/the-legend-of-jose-gasparilla/. Gasparilla had fallen into a trap! According to some versions of the story, Gaspar started as a troubled adolescent who kidnapped a little girl for ransom. The brochure relied heavily on the stories told by John Gomez. 1. There has been a lot of permanent damage to archaeological sites due to the misinformation about buried treasure in prehistoric mounds, and pushing some aspects of this myth may lead to others following suit (leading to arrests and seizures as well as loss of cultural information). The notorious pirate then committed suicide by wrapping a heavy chain around him and jumping over the side. One of the most popular pirates in Florida folklore is Jose' Gaspar. When it comes to spring cleaning, its always nice to have a spare hand to help. Source: Theartofphoto / Adobe Stock. His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Gasparilla Inn was a hotel on the island. Jose was also an officer of high standing in the naval affairs of the Spaniards. Sarasota's Michael Gattuso and members of his . His treasure might have been on the ship with him during this battle. Jose Gaspar, the legendary buccaneer who inspired Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Festival, as well as fantastic tales of lost treasure, most likely never really existed. 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. There are a few pirates who may have hidden treasure at this spot, including Billy. He claimed to be one of the few crew members to escape a fateful attack by American pirate hunting schooner USS Enterprise in 1821. But Rodney Kite-Powell, a Tampa-Bay curator, doesnt believe that the legendary figure was even real. By Geoff Dobson. It's a Small size geocache, with difficulty of 3.5, terrain of 5. You must log in or register to reply here. Retail store with the following - shells, shellcraft, wood carvings, shark teeth and jaws,. Jos Gaspar. Youll read about many that are hidden and a few that were found, so it can happen. Ill post one a week Treasure Tuesdaysthis that lame? Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. Sometime later a large sum of gold coins was found near the Spanish Homestead. You are using an out of date browser. The leaflet establishes Gaspars legend, claiming that he chose Gasparilla Island as the best of the islands in Charlotte Harbor to establish his base. Jos Gaspar. Although Gasparilla was a well-educated, well-dressed pirate and ladies man, things did not always go as planned. 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. The story of Juan Gomez is also published in the Library of Congress. His theft discovered, he deserted his wife and children, gathered together a nice lot of cut-throats, stole the prize vessel of the Spanish Fleet, and escaped. It was done for tourism purposes," Gattuso said. Indian River Shores, Florida A trove of Spanish coins dating back to a 1715 shipwreck during a storm have been found along a beach in Florida. How did the legend of Gaspar begin? Is this the hand and treasure of Jose Gaspar? Wikipedia, 2022. 1 Review #9 of 11 Shopping in Flagler Beach. Source of the stories which became inspiration for the legend of Jose Gaspar. The Story of Gasparilla by ABC Action News on Scribd. 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. Starting in 1911, though, the event's founders, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, switched . The legend of pirate Jose Gaspar, or Gasparilla as he is sometimes known, is shrouded in mystery. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, no pirate was more feared in the southern United States than Jose Gaspar. Lafitte was wanted by the US government for they deemed his acts as piracy, not privateering. 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. He spent nearly 30 years plundering ships in and around the gulf coast. His methods were black and bloody, and he stands out among all the pirates who used Florida to bury their wealth. 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 . Whether the coins are authentic or not, Mike thinks the hand is real, and may belong to Jose Gaspar himself. Shopping, Gift & Specialty Shops. The legend of Gaspar began making its way into other writings after that, without any other historical evidence to back it up. Gilchrist intended to turn the area into a community. This was to prove his doom as the ship he had targeted was no harmless cargo ship but in fact the USS Enterprise, a heavily armed and very dangerous pirate hunter. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Another report states that he hid several chests in a small river somewhere in the vicinity of the Bay. They used Barataria Bay in Louisiana as a hub for their enterprise. 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 . He has written for 8 years in a variety of fields including history, health and politics. According to archives, the island community was created by Albert W. Gilchrist, Floridas 20th governor. Leaving soon? "It's a bunch of heartbreak with little reward and a lot of imagination," said treasure hunter Erin Melcher. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Jos Gaspar allegedly lived between 1756 and 1821 and was based on southwest Florida, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. This was around the 1870s, after the Civil War. I was totally blown away," said Lopez. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The treasure on Money Island is said to hidden in the crevice of a large rock that is only visible during low tide. This hoard was allegedly buried by a group of pirates in the early 1800s. Treasure hunter Stacey Hunt holds an old nail found under the ground on a wetland believed to have lost treasure. Save. When he finally realized that it was a warship, it was too late. The story of the famed pirate may have been the tall tale of a U.S. naval officer. You must log in or register to reply here. In different accounts, details of his early life, motivations, and activities varied. What date is Gasparilla 2021? He relocated to Galveston Island around 1817 where he set up a pirate empire. The poem, maps, comments from other searchers, and other guides to finding the treasure are online and easy to find. Lets do this. It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. 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. Treasure hunting can be a fun and exciting activity. The parade that follows is one of the largest in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Tampa Bay. The items found by his sister were neatly packed inside a wooden box. 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. Jose Gaspar Treasure 6 Jewelry Gift Shops Bookstores $ "We went in looking for a lite shark tooth for our son. 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). He was sentenced to prison and eventually released. What he thought was a British cargo ship turned out to be the USS Enterprise, on a mission to end piracy. Therefore hiding treasure might have seemed like a logical choice. Who was this figure, and what was he supposed to have done? Since 1904, pirates have invaded the City of Tampa to kick off the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. By clicking Accept Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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). He wished to return to America to retrieve this treasure after Kidds execution but he never made it back. Aged Rum. 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. He finally returned with his wife to find all but a handful of his crew had died. ", "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 San Jose, a Spanish treasure ship, was attacked and sunk by a British warship in June 1708. 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. 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.