So, what is John’s Pass Village really all about? All December - John's Pass Village becomes fabulous Christmas Village for this month-long celebration! The lighting of the Madeira Beach Christmas Tree was on November 30th and the arrival of Santa Claus to the Village! John's Pass merchants offer Special Discounts throughout the entire Holiday Season.
But how did John’s Pass come to pass (sorry about the pun). Years ago, in the early 1800’s Florida was not a state yet… merely an American Territory with no law enforcement. The Native American tribe of Seminole Indians was joined by runaway slaves from the southern states. Together, they co-existed in a rugged terrain full of pine forests and mangrove-covered islands. What was also prevalent were bands of pirates!
John LeVeque, a Frenchman, set out to find his fortune in the new World by serving as a cabin boy on a Spanish Galleon in 1836. The ship was attacked by pirates and young John was enlisted into the pirate crew as a galley slave. He moved up the ranks to First Mate and finally Captain of his own pirate ship. According to legend, John LeVeque always allowed his victims to keep their lives and their freedom. His sailings took him throughout the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico where he discovered a beautiful beach on an island on Florida’s West Coast. He buried his treasure chest with his amassed fortune right off this very beach and it became a peaceful hideaway for him… and what would some day become Madeira Beach.
LeVeque decided to retire to New Orleans and was making his way to retrieve his treasure from his hideout in Madeira Beach. As he sailed north a hurricane blew in on the horizon and he held back. The next morning, September 27, 1848, LeVeque found that the hurricane had cut his long skinny island clean in two, rendering his treasure map useless. The storm had destroyed the very area of the island where his treasure had been buried! As he sailed through the new pass, and as dolphins played alongside his boat, John LeVeque realized his treasure had been lost forever. Since that day, the inlet has been known as John’s Pass in honor of LeVeque’s discovery and maiden passage through the waterway. He never found his treasure, but did settle there watching his isolated island become a quaint fishing community.
It was Wilson Hubbard who, in 1978, saw the potential of a waterfront boardwalk with its marina facilities, restaurants and variety of shops. Recent renovations brought in Bubba Gump’s Restaurant which has been an instant success. In June every year, there is even a 3-day Pirate Invasion event to honor John LeVeque’s story.
December at John’s Pass should be fun-filled and well worth the visit!
But how did John’s Pass come to pass (sorry about the pun). Years ago, in the early 1800’s Florida was not a state yet… merely an American Territory with no law enforcement. The Native American tribe of Seminole Indians was joined by runaway slaves from the southern states. Together, they co-existed in a rugged terrain full of pine forests and mangrove-covered islands. What was also prevalent were bands of pirates!
John LeVeque, a Frenchman, set out to find his fortune in the new World by serving as a cabin boy on a Spanish Galleon in 1836. The ship was attacked by pirates and young John was enlisted into the pirate crew as a galley slave. He moved up the ranks to First Mate and finally Captain of his own pirate ship. According to legend, John LeVeque always allowed his victims to keep their lives and their freedom. His sailings took him throughout the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico where he discovered a beautiful beach on an island on Florida’s West Coast. He buried his treasure chest with his amassed fortune right off this very beach and it became a peaceful hideaway for him… and what would some day become Madeira Beach.
LeVeque decided to retire to New Orleans and was making his way to retrieve his treasure from his hideout in Madeira Beach. As he sailed north a hurricane blew in on the horizon and he held back. The next morning, September 27, 1848, LeVeque found that the hurricane had cut his long skinny island clean in two, rendering his treasure map useless. The storm had destroyed the very area of the island where his treasure had been buried! As he sailed through the new pass, and as dolphins played alongside his boat, John LeVeque realized his treasure had been lost forever. Since that day, the inlet has been known as John’s Pass in honor of LeVeque’s discovery and maiden passage through the waterway. He never found his treasure, but did settle there watching his isolated island become a quaint fishing community.
It was Wilson Hubbard who, in 1978, saw the potential of a waterfront boardwalk with its marina facilities, restaurants and variety of shops. Recent renovations brought in Bubba Gump’s Restaurant which has been an instant success. In June every year, there is even a 3-day Pirate Invasion event to honor John LeVeque’s story.
December at John’s Pass should be fun-filled and well worth the visit!
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