Find the treasure, report it, and go to jail for committing a 3rd Degree Felony. Toward the end of his pirate career, Bowlegs was being pursued by an English warship. Fastened inside the box with copper wire is an old wedding photo, 18th century Spanish and Portuguese coins, a 1930s map of the Hillsborough River and a mummified hand wearing a ring. We" more 2. The most notorious and successful pirate was Jose Gaspar, better known as Gasparilla. ", According to the railroad brochure, the "narrative was compiled by the writer from incidents told by John Gomez, better known as Panther Key John, a brother-in-law of Gasparilla and a member of his crew, who died at the age of 120 years, at Panther Key, Florida, 12 miles below Marco, in the year 1900; also from records left by John Gomez, Jr., the cabin-boy on Gasparilla's ship, who was kidnapped by Gasparilla and who witnessed the death of this pirate and all on board his vessel. Treasure Hunters May Have Found Jos Gaspar's Pirate Vessel - YouTube Legend states they marked a tree by driving a sword into 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. Ill post one a week Treasure Tuesdaysthis that lame? The items found by his sister were neatly packed inside a wooden box. Read another story from us:Norways Saint Olaf Uncovered: Archaeologists Believe They have Discovered the Shrine of the Lost Viking King. So that's why we believe that it was Juan Gomez. A fortune worth $1 million when it was hidden in 2010 is waiting to be picked up somewhere in the Rocky Mountains just a few miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Treasure hunters seeking Gasparilla's gold featured on Discovery and According to archives, the island community was created by Albert W. Gilchrist, Floridas 20th governor. So it is a huge, huge draw for people to come to Tampa.". Another report states that he hid several chests in a small river somewhere in the vicinity of the Bay. But Gasparilla himself did not survive the final battle. (2) Most of the islands around Charlotte Harbor were named by the Cuban Spanish fishermen that lived there since the 1600's. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); If anybody wants to start a treasure seach team, WTF Florida? Mike Lopez said his sister was not expecting to find a human hand, a treasure map, and gold coins. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The prices seem lower, but not my thing. Top Image: Real pirate or later fiction? Lots of shells and jewelry and other gifts. 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. Jos Gaspar allegedly lived between 1756 and 1821 and was based on southwest Florida, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. . Gaspar apparently did not share this attraction and instead gave his attention to other women of the court. When it comes to spring cleaning, its always nice to have a spare hand to help. He renamed this ship Queen Anns Revenger which gave him one of the largest fleets on the East coast of America and Caribbean. "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. There are numerous legends and tales of buried treasure on this island. Still, it was not very soon after that, that Tampa captured that myth," Kite-Powell said. Jose Gaspar | bakersfield.com But treasure hunters believe there is truth in his tall tale, and buried treasure is out there. Tampa family finds pirate treasure in grandpa's attic - USA TODAY A few months ago, Gattuso found a Calusa bone tool that is now part of the Useppa Island museum's collection. To learn more, visit our. He has taken his place in local folklore and culture and has an annual festival in his honor. Jose Gaspar Treasure Co - Tripadvisor JavaScript is disabled. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. They took the box to a few antique stores. Our Florida pirate "Jose Gaspar enters history's scene in Spain where he was born in the year 1756 and started adult life with a career in the Spanish Navy, serving aboard the warship Floridablanca. We've been chasing his treasures. Marias brother Mike believes the couple in the photo may be their great grandparents, Eve and Ernesto Lopez. His headquarters were at Boca Grande, on what is today known as Gasparilla Island. Legend has it that Gasparilla spotted a huge ship sailing in the distance. The pirate is one of the most notorious in the history of pirates. These wealthy civilizations flourished for hundreds of years spreading Sign up for our WTFF Newsletter to get weird Florida news delivered straight to your email: WTFF News: Because regular news is depressing. He then tied himself to an anchor and jumped in the ocean disappearing for all time. His treasure might have been on the ship with him during this battle. But they know long-lost treasures and artifacts are out there. The story of the famed pirate may have been the tall tale of a U.S. naval officer. Icelanders and the Huldufolk: A Nation Gripped by Farinis Great Discovery: Is there a Lost City Top Ten Knights of King Arthurs Round Table. They then buried the chests in numerous places along the river and its tributaries and swamps. A fisherman at Stafford Point in Connecticut is rumored to have spotted some pirates burying a heavy looking chest at Stratford Point in Connecticut during the late 1600s. He was wanted until 1815 when opinion of him changed. When Maria and Mike were children, their grandfather would tell them stories about his father, Ernesto Lopez, finding Jose Gaspar's pirate treasure. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. According to the story, Gaspar had underestimated the USS Enterprise as an easy target. Inside, bound to the box by copper wire, she found a dessicated hand wearing a ring with the word "Gaspar" on . This tale doesnt give the Lopezes a helping hand in solving the mystery of the finds from their grandparents attic. But treasure hunters believe there is truth in his tall tale, and buried treasure is out there. I love this place built around 1640 . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The latter two locations being the most logical. We lived not far from Gasparella Island and Charlotte Harbour.where the legend supposedly ended. Millions of dollars have been found literally lying in front of people's feet, the world's beaches. Maybe you can find one and claim the fame and wealth that will ultimilty accompany your successful efforts. So where did Blackbeard hide his treasures? He spent nearly 30 years plundering ships in and around the gulf coast. "It's a bunch of heartbreak with little reward and a lot of imagination," said treasure hunter Erin Melcher. 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. Tyrons Landing located between the towns of Wethersfield and Naubuc. "So, it's interesting how Tampa, in a sense, stole; we were pirates ourselves. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, no pirate was more feared in the southern United States than Jose Gaspar. When he finally realized that it was a warship, it was too late. As with any tale of vast hidden riches, these stories can not be 100 percent verified to even exist. We will discuss a few of them here. John Gomez, also known as Juan Gomez and Panther John. Though he is a popular figure in Florida folklore, no evidence of his existence appears in writing before the early 20th century. Find the treasure, don't report it, melt it down or sell it on the black market using a different name. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. wtfflorida.com/information/gaspars-lost-treasure/. Save. Gasparilla the Pirate and his Charlotte Harbor Treasure 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 rest of the treasure remains hidden, waiting to be found. The legend states that Gaspar terrorized the western coastal waters of Florida in the late 18th to early 19th century. In the following years, he accumulated a board estimated at $30,000,000. What we do know is that he is considered a hero to some and a villain to others. (5) The first written version of Gasparilla appeared in an advertising brochure of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railroad Co. printed in 1900. But, now? Most confirm that the "Floridablanca" was the name of his pirate ship and the one that he served upon in the Navy. Evidently, though, the treasure is not. Tampans have embraced Gasparilla for more than a century, whether or not the pirate Jose Gaspar ever came to town It's a huge juxtaposition from the quiet of the Touchton Map Library at the. 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 . Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Just pick any island and start digging, because Gasparillas loot is buried on many of them, including Cayo Pelau. He remembers their grandfather telling stories when they were children of Ernesto finding the treasure of Tampa Bay pirate legend Jose Gaspar. Although Gasparilla was a well-educated, well-dressed pirate and ladies man, things did not always go as planned. According to some versions of the story, Gaspar started as a troubled adolescent who kidnapped a little girl for ransom. 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. Theyve done this every Sunday for a year, looking for the booty of 19th century pirate Jose Gaspar. Hand in Tampa Attic Stirs Up Memories of Dread Pirate Gaspar 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. The San Jose galleon was believed to have been . Were There Pirates In Tampa Bay? - On Secret Hunt It's light on history and heavy on action, suspense, and intrigue. A Beginners Guide to Magnet Fishing: 15 Sure Fire Tips. 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. "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. Finally Pirates Cove, which is on the southern tip of Connecticut may house these valuable chests. One such account concerns Maria Louise, a lovely Spanish princess, who was returning to Spain after a journey to Mexico with 11 Mexican princesses who were to be educated and married in Spain. "Maria came across it and once she told me she found a hand in a box.