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| - Details: Dan Willans was a prospector in the Canadian Yukon; he was one of thousands of men who traveled there, hoping to find gold and become rich. Dan settled in the mining town of Hailey Barry, in Ontario. By 1925, Dan was well known in the town, becoming close friends with the other prospectors and often playing poker games with them. However, Dan was private and told little about his past. One of his friends believed that he was previously in the military, but Dan never confirmed this. One night, Dan and his mining partner Bill Cochenour were told that there may be gold in Red Lake, 850 miles west of Hailey Barry. For over a month, Dan and Bill journeyed through the desolate outback of Ontario in order to get to the lake. After spending several months there, the two men finally found
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| - Details: Dan Willans was a prospector in the Canadian Yukon; he was one of thousands of men who traveled there, hoping to find gold and become rich. Dan settled in the mining town of Hailey Barry, in Ontario. By 1925, Dan was well known in the town, becoming close friends with the other prospectors and often playing poker games with them. However, Dan was private and told little about his past. One of his friends believed that he was previously in the military, but Dan never confirmed this. One night, Dan and his mining partner Bill Cochenour were told that there may be gold in Red Lake, 850 miles west of Hailey Barry. For over a month, Dan and Bill journeyed through the desolate outback of Ontario in order to get to the lake. After spending several months there, the two men finally found the gold that they had been searching for. Soon, a gold mine sprang to life at Red Lake; soon after, the city of Red Lake was formed nearby. Dan and Bill's mine drew $45 million worth of gold, which would be worth over $1 billion today. However, Dan was not interested in running a gold mine; he instead enjoyed panning for gold. Dan would often spend months alone in the wilderness, panning for gold. Dan also seemed to have a double life; when he wasn't out in the wilderness panning for gold, he was living as a cultured gentleman. Every autumn, he would take over an entire floor of the elegant King Edward Hotel in Toronto and entertained his friends. Dan kept up his double life for several years; then, in the autumn of 1936, Dan mysteriously vanished while on one of his prospecting trips. After several weeks, his partner Bill began to search for him. He went to Dan's cabin and found nothing out of the ordinary. Although a search was conducted for Dan, no trace of him was ever found. Several theories emerged about his disappearance. The main theory was that Dan had gotten lost during one of his trips and died in the wilderness. However, some of friends do not believe that he would've gotten lost. One friend, Joe Perkins, believed that he had decided to go back to his elegant lifestyle. Others, however, believe that Dan was killed after a poker game, and that his body was thrown down an abandoned mine shaft. Along with the mysteries surrounding his disappearance, there is also the mystery of Dan's past. It appears that Dan was originally from England. He was skilled as a horesman, and at cards. He never married, but may have had a sister in England. His unclaimed estate, in 1936, was valued at $71,000; since then, it has increased its worth to over $100,000. Also, Dan's estate may include $850,000 from his shares in the mine that belonged to him and his partner Bill. Terry Howes, a researcher that looks for missing heirs, has discovered that "Dan Willans" may not even be his real name. Terry believes that Dan's real name was "Dalton Thomas Willans". It is believed that Dan has heirs somewhere in Britain and the United States. If they are found, they could receive an estate of up to $3.5 million. Extra Notes: This segment was featured as part of the January 18, 1989 episode. Results: Unresolved. Within days of the broadcast, a possible relative of Dan's named Davey Willans came forward. Davey claims that his grandfather Harold, then eleven, came from Britain to the Ontario in 1895. It is believed that Harold traveled to Ontario with a relative and that a cousin had also lived in Ontario at some point. Davey believes that Dan Willans was the relative that lived in Ontario. Davey Willans flew to Toronto to meet Dan's friend Joe Perkins. The two compared pictures of Dan with pictures of Davey's grandfather Harold and great-grandfather John. Both men agreed that there appears to be a resemblance between Dan, Harold, and John Willans. However, without DNA, there is no definite determination that Dan and Davey Willans were related, and it is unrevealed if Davey and his family received any of the money. Links:
* Willans mystery on television
* Letters to the Editor - Dan Willan's case may never be solved
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