John Gomez inspired me to learn more about Florida’s maritime history because I wanted to learn more about John. The more I learned about John Gomez, the more I discovered there was more to learn about John Gomez. He brought the legend of Jose Gaspar to Tampa Bay, piloted Union vessels out of Key West during the Civil War and retired to a deserted island in Charlotte Harbour with his young bride (she was 70) to fish his golden years away.
Here is the digital version of my research and ruminations on Panther Key John Gomez. The original version (2006) is on file at the Monroe County Library in Key West. This version (2012) includes a prologue. Click the image or this link to open the PDF file.
FLORIDA MARITIME 