Gulf Coast SW FL

[Harvo]

I came across this old map. If you look hard enough you can see my house in Cape Coral.
I have been trying to locate Bell Bar Buoy. This is on the gulf coast around Boca Grande.
I have been searching on line for this location, old maps, ect...

This is a neat map Bernard Romans Florida Map of 1774

 

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[lookindown]

Is your house the blue one or the green one?

 

[reddirtwillie]

My old stompin grounds

 

[sabre15]

It says 1774, many people think Gasparilla was conjured up by real estate developers. What exactly is Boca Gasparilla back in that time, where did the name originate? Why?

 

[lookindown]

It says 1774, many people think Gasparilla was conjured up by real estate developers. What exactly is Boca Gasparilla back in that time, where did the name originate? Why?

That's a good question...Im going to research where the word Gasparilla comes from...I thought it was from Jose Gaspar.

 

[ron lord]

I came across this old map. If you look hard enough you can see my house in Cape Coral.
I have been trying to locate Bell Bar Buoy. This is on the gulf coast around Boca Grande.
I have been searching on line for this location, old maps, ect...

This is a neat map Bernard Romans Florida Map of 1774

View attachment 870041

Why this Buoy? What are you trying to find?

 

[Harvo]

I dont believe in Gasparilla, I do believe in Juan Gonzalez. There is a post that now I can not find. The person said that he knew where Gonzalez camp site. They talked about Lettuce Lake. In the Peace River Google has it listed as Lettuee Lake.
It was also posted that ship/boat wreck was at Bell Bar Buoy. I live close to the area and never heard of Bell Bar Buoy before. I have save some old maps on my PC of this area and nothing listed on it. I am not sure if they meant Bell Bar Bayou. But I could not find any info on that either.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Hey very cool map!..Ive been in that area alot and around Charlette harbor in search of ol' Juan Gomez's camp site...I have a book at home that my grandfather gave me about the Treausres of Southwest Florida..it was written in the 50s or so...i think it has some other little maps of the area and the Peace river area....Good luck in your searches!

 

[Harvo]

Wikipedia states: "Gasparilla plundering ships in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Spanish main from the late 1700s until 1821, when, to avoid being captured by the schooner USS Enterprise" So that is the time frame of the map.

Also, Wikipedia State: "there is no evidence that a pirate named Gaspar or Gasparilla ever operated off the Florida coast, and the United States Navy has no record of his final fatal encounter"

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Wikipedia states: "Gasparilla plundering ships in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Spanish main from the late 1700s until 1821, when, to avoid being captured by the schooner USS Enterprise" So that is the time frame of the map.

Also, Wikipedia State: "there is no evidence that a pirate named Gaspar or Gasparilla ever operated off the Florida coast, and the United States Navy has no record of his final fatal encounter"

Really?...I had always heard there was a Pirate named Juan gaspar....I found this...of course not sure how accurate it is.


'Among the pirates who in the early years of the last century terrorized the West Indian and Florida [seas?] one of the most notorious and infamous was Gasparilla, whose exploits are recalled in Tampa's annual carnival under direction of Gasparilla's [Krewe?]. Mr. Robert S. Bradley, president of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railroad, who has written the story of Gasparilla's career, tells us that he was a Spaniard, Jose [Gaspar?],

Heres a link to the whole story...Im sure you have already read this...just thought i would share
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/wpa/12040514.html

 

[ron lord]

So what you are looking for is a Treasure Chest buried near the shore of Lettuce Lake and is worth several million dollars in1867.This what Juan Gonzalez said before he died. I have a book that tells where this treasure is buried along with a code that tell where it is and what town it is near. Harvo e-mail me and I will send you the code and town only.

 

[sponge]

So what you are looking for is a Treasure Chest I love hearing those words. Arrrrrrrrr infinity

 

[Harvo]

This was a post that I came across on Treasurenet, it was posted a couple years ago:
"There was a dive shop owner in Ft. Meyers that had a search lease from the state. He found 8 real coins, a flintlock pistol and artifacts around the bell bar bouy. He also found a mast and attempted to remove it. The state archaeologist said it was hand hewn and you could see marks made by an adze on the mast. The state revoked his permit"

I goes on to say it was around Cayo Costa. This is my interest in Bell Bar Bouy...

I will look for tourist gold for now

 

[mr_rich]

Ah, Lettuce Lake, I remember searching for that treasure in the early 90's. That was the one with the copper plate and gold coins. Those were the good ol' days my friends and I would take off on weekends with canoes and go to different rivers and explore. I could tell some stories of very old boats on the bottoms of rivers, treasure, flash floods, alligators, snakes, giant spiders and drinking. lol.

 

[Harvo]

Hey very cool map!..Ive been in that area alot and around Charlette harbor in search of ol' Juan Gomez's camp site...I have a book at home that my grandfather gave me about the Treausres of Southwest Florida..it was written in the 50s or so...i think it has some other little maps of the area and the Peace river area....Good luck in your searches!

This is the complete map...


This is the link if you want to zoom in on it: http://www.loc.gov/resource/g3861p.ar16220a/

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

So I saw DigFellas last night.....and they were on Sanibel...Ugh.

 

[Fletch88]

Ah, Lettuce Lake, I remember searching for that treasure in the early 90's. That was the one with the copper plate and gold coins. Those were the good ol' days my friends and I would take off on weekends with canoes and go to different rivers and explore. I could tell some stories of very old boats on the bottoms of rivers, treasure, flash floods, alligators, snakes, giant spiders and drinking. lol.

Sounds like a blast!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Good luck with your quest!
And who's to say, just because it's named Gasparilla Isl, that's where he went? I thought the Caloosa's were all over that. Perhaps it was the next pass down, (red pass(?) blind pass(?).) Where all the old fish huts used to be. Maybe back up in to Jug creek ? .......
If someone had a claim, then there has to be a paper trail also, no? Let us know what you come up with.

Don't know bout the lettuce place, perhaps the local historian would. It sounds to me like, Rons' your man!
Again, good luck & HH!

Florida's Fabulous Treasures

 

[John (west central FL)]

Have you seen this yet? St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search

It's from a 1956 edition of the Saint Pete Times. It says that Bell Bar Bouy is about 5 miles out from Boca Grande Pass. Gaspar's flagship with $30 million! If you find it send me a few hundred thousand!

 

[Harvo]

Have you seen this yet? St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search

It's from a 1956 edition of the Saint Pete Times. It says that Bell Bar Bouy is about 5 miles out from Boca Grande Pass. Gaspar's flagship with $30 million! If you find it send me a few hundred thousand!

JOHN, that was a very interesting article. Thanks.