Florida West Coast Treasure Leads

[sabre15]

I know there is a treasure lead thread on the forum but, this all pertains to Florida, so hopefully the moderators leave this alone.
Other than Thomas Terry and his Treasure Atlas, does anyone want to discuss known or unknown land and sea wrecks/caches etc.
We do not talk enough about the west coast and this is directed torwards the panhandle and all of us over on the west/gulf side. Let the Treasure Coast have their area and lets figure out what we can find over here. Preferably more factual accounts than fiction. With all of the history over here we should bring some unknown or lesser known treasures to the forefront and collectively start a thread which will motivate people in this area to research and get involved in an area which has great potential. Everyone's opinion is welcomed, from anywhere you may live, I just thought some of us on the gulf may have some interesting stories to share or may need some help on researching or actually exploring areas. I realize not everyone can get out and hunt, together we help each other!

 

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[Jon Phillips]

I'm just south of Tampa....

I have found that the James R. Keel book: FLORIDA'S TRAILS TO HISTORY'S TREASURES is a very informative book. Not everything in there is historically correct, but it does have a nice mix of treasure tales, Seminole War/Civil War sites, pirate tales, old ghost towns, and indian villages, several shipwreck sites, and beaches that have had treasure coins wash up on them.

It is MUCH better than those WORTHLESS "treasure site & ghost town locator index" deals. I have bought a couple of those, and they all appear to have taken their info from this and other, well-written, books on the subject, and condensed them down to incorrect, and useless lists, with no details, and "ghost towns" that are current towns with no hope of knowing where the old parts of the towns are without local knowledge. (I lived in one of these "ghost towns" almost all my life!)

I think there is always a "grass is greener on the other side" deal going on. I would love to go relic hunting at Seminole War fort sites, but most of the sites around my area are built over, or reclaimed phosphate land, or otherwise off limits....but I see all the stuff the north/north central Fl guys are finding.

I'm sure some people close to those sites would love to hunt the beaches around me, and the old islands looking for spanish/pirate treasure.

Maybe this thread could work as an exchange for people in that situation?

If people post sites in their area that they aren't interested in, but someone else might be?

 

[Jon Phillips]

That being said......

I have heard a tale of spanish explorers that were going up the interior along the coast, and (alledgedly) had to stash two wagons loaded with treasure from South America somewhere around my area (Riverview). Now that sounds like "bunk", and I have never read anything about it, but it was told to me by a land owner that thought it might be on some of his family's land. The only thing that points to it being a possibility is the supposed tale of two boys diving off of the bridge on hwy 41 into the mouth of Bullfrog Creek, and pulling up two golden statues. Local natives didn't build golden statues.... I live on a tributary of Bullfrog Creek, and it is virtually inpenitrable in a lot of places, so I could see wanting to stash heavy wagon-loads of gold and coming back for it later!

Like I said...I likelly story, but the gold statues (if true) lends some credibility to it.....or to pirate treasure of some type.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Also... A lot of the islands from the Charlotte Harbor area, north to the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area were used extensively throughout history....everything from indians, to the Spanish, U.S. and Confederate army and navy, etc.

I wouldn't discount "pirate" tales, and accounts of pirate towns associated with these islands, because even if it wasn't pirates per se....it could still have been old Spanish fishing villages and colonial towns.

 

[FloridaBill]

Also... A lot of the islands from the Charlotte Harbor area, north to the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area were used extensively throughout history....everything from indians, to the Spanish, U.S. and Confederate army and navy, etc.

I wouldn't discount "pirate" tales, and accounts of pirate towns associated with these islands, because even if it wasn't pirates per se....it could still have been old Spanish fishing villages and colonial towns.

very true trouble is most of them are off limits

 

[deepsix47]

Where do you want to start? There are any number of posts scattered around TNet concerning the Gulf. From the Panhandle to the Keys the Gulf Coast has yielded treasure and there is a lot more out there. Most of the wrecks in the Archives are listed only as "lost without trace" so we're looking at many virgin wrecks waiting to be found.

Many Gulf Coast beaches (especially in the Panhandle) turn up Spanish coins after a good storm. In the 50's and 60's several treasures were located and recovered by sponge divers working out of Tarpon Springs. Unlike the Treasure Coast, most Gulf Coast diggers tend to keep there sites quite so I wish you the best in getting to know them and possibly one day being invited to dig with them.

Anyway, I hope that you're search along the Gulf side of the state is successful

Deepsix

 

[godisnum1]

I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread....

Unlike the Treasure Coast, most Gulf Coast diggers tend to keep there sites quite so I wish you the best in getting to know them and possibly one day being invited to dig with them.

Anyway, I hope that you're search along the Gulf side of the state is successful

Deepsix

Heh...

Bran <><

 

[Harvest]

[I have been treasure hunting most of my life and the west Coast is a sure thing and research is the key. one spanish, gall which went down in a hurrucane. I have narrowed down to a few square miles from a old movie from the early fifties just a plain love story but the location was real and the area the movie was based on was revieled. this summer I will take off in my sailboat and watch the closed circuit monitor of the cameras searching the bottom for abnormalities. My wife doesen't want me going alone she insist that I find another diver to go because of my age and condition , but trusting another with your life in their hands is hard to find.

DREAMS ARE THE STEPPING STONES TO THE THRESHOLD OF REALITY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE IN YOU QUEST

Sincerely, Harvest

 

[aquanut]

Sabre15,
I ran through my allotment of PM's. Check out my latest post on the cookout.
Aquanut

 

[jeff k]

Harvest.. Was that movie called "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" with Gilbert Roland?

 

[Salvor6]

Jeff, I have that movie and it starrs Robert Wagner. One of my favorite. BTW are you going to Aquanut's cookout? I wanted to talk to you about the Engel Trassen. Aufwiedersehn.

 

[jeff k]

Salvor... I didn't remember that Wagner was in the movie. He wasn't a big star then. Gilbert Roland played his father.

No, I won't be attending the cookout, but you can PM me.

 

[deepsix47]

Harvest.. Was that movie called "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" with Gilbert Roland?

I doubt it. One of my favorite movies. Robert Wagner, Terri Moore and Gilbert Roland. I don't remember a Treasure Ship or Treasure at all being in that one. Great movie.

Deepsix

 

[Brett2259]

Hope you guys find it!

 

[mohicanjoe]

West Coast Wrecks....

Rumour has it that their are between 0 & 120 lost or missing ships on the gulf coast of Florida. Plus, their is the ever elusive u-boat lost between Sarasota and Cape Coral........if you wish to dive any area give a bell and well give you some honest help......

Joe

 

[Mr.Jody]

I would like to ride on a boat, BUT, I AINT GETTING IN THE WATER..I dont like sharks or crocs... I'll keep my MD'ing to knee deep water and the dry land..

 

[aquanut]

The most dangerous water just happens to be knee deep.
Aquanut

 

[Mr.Jody]

Well, Ill stay on land then...... .....

 

[seadoodiver]

I live in Cape Coral. There is much local history here. Treasure hunting is done very quietly here. No one ever shares information and if anything off shore has been found, no one is talking. I think this is because of all the litigation that has occured on the east coast of Florida. Over the years there has been alot of treasure hunting boats here ( i have seen them myself out working).
I would enjoy meeting with anyone that wants to share ideas, resources, local area knowledge.

 

[jeff k]

Harvest.. Was that movie called "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" with Gilbert Roland?

The movie I was thinking about was titled, "Underwater" 1955.

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=960