In 1936, Dan Willans disappeared while panning for gold in Canada. Theories of what happened to him include that he had perished after becoming lost, that his body was thrown down an abandoned mine shaft after he was killed during a poker game, or, as he had been one of the fortunate to have struck it rich, that he left to live a life of luxury.
What actually became of Dan Willans is still unknown after nearly ninety years, as is his background. If a lineage to the prosperous prospector and long-missing miner can be established, his kin could claim major moolah.
Dan Willans
Dan Willans was among the thousands of prospectors who searched for gold in Canada during the 1920s, settling in Ontario’s mining town of Haileybury, roughly four-hundred-forty-five kilometers (two-hundred-seventy-five miles) northwest of Ottawa and fewer than one-hundred kilometers (just over sixty miles) from the American border.
In 1925, Willans and his mining partners, brothers Ed and Bill Cochenour, struck the mother lode at Red Lake, approximately 1,200 kilometers (nine-hundred-thirty miles) northwest of Haileybury.
Dan Strikes Gold
This and other area discoveries triggered the last great Gold Rush in North America, and the town of Red Lake was established nearby. Several area gold mines were established including the Cochenour-Willans Mine which was administered by the brothers.
Dan Willans continued panning for gold before vanishing in 1936. A search of his cabin produced nothing suggesting what may have happened to him.
At the time of his disappearance, Dan Willans’ estate was valued at $71,000; today, it is worth over $1.6 million, but that may only be the beginning. The estate may include $850,000 from his shares in the mine that could now be worth upwards of $18 million.
No heirs, however, have been found, as Dan Willans was a man of mystery even before going missing. He spoke little of his past; about all his fellow gold-seekers knew about him was that he was a cultured man, a skilled horseman, and an adept poker player.
Dan Disappears
The late Terry Howes, owner of Toronto-based Missing Heirs Inc., believed Dan Willans’ real name is Dalton Thomas Willans and that he was born in England. His allusions to having served in the military have not been confirmed.
Willans appears to have never married, but he may have heirs in Great Britain because, Howes believed, he had a sister living there at the time he was prospecting for gold in Canada. He may also have heirs in the United States.
Dan The Mystery Man
Unsolved Mysteries aired a segment on Dan Willans in January 1989; it was the show’s first Canadian-based story. Following the broadcast, New York City businessman Davey Willans contacted the producers, saying he believed his grandfather, Harold Willains, may have been the cousin of Dan Willans.
In 1895, eleven-year-old Harold and another relative, whom Davey believes to be Dan Willans, immigrated to Ontario from Great Britain. Davey, along with several gold prospectors who knew Dan Willans, believe there is a resemblance between him and Harold Willains and Harold’s father John Willains, Davey’s great-grandfather.
Relatives?
I was unable to find if any ancestry was proven between Dan and Davey Willans or if Davey ever received any of Dan’s estate. It appears there is no record of Dan Willans’ DNA, so it may be impossible to conclusively determine any bloodline.
Davey Willans
The Cochenour brothers and Dan Willans formed the Cochenour-Willans syndicate in 1928. In 1936, the same year Willans had disappeared, the entity incorporated.
The Cochenour-Willans mine began producing ore in 1939. With the exception of temporarily suspending operations in 1944 due to labor and supply shortages caused by World War II, production continued until 1971, having turned out over 1.2 million ounces of gold worth over $41 million, and the corporation distributed over $6.2 million in dividends.
Cochenour-Willans Mine
Bill Cochenour died in 1964; his brother Ed passed away six years later.
Bill Cochenour
SOURCES:
- Etobicoke Guardian (Toronto, Canada)
- Hamilton Spectator
- Red Lake Regional Heritage Center
- Toronto Post
- Unsolved Mysteries
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