Located in the upper northern part of the United States, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (also referred to as the U.P.) is a heavily forested region of the state which is bordered by three of the five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, and Huron) and “connects” with the state of Wisconsin along a natural border comprised of the Montreal, Menominee, and Brule rivers (although there is a large stretch that passes through open land without these rivers present). Known for its lush forests (8.8 million acres to be precise) and breathtaking natural beauty, the 16,377 sq mi piece of land is home to just over 300,000+ residents. While that number appears to be large when typed out, that total roughly translates to only a little more than 3% of the total population of the entire state of Michigan. To put that into the most basic of terms, there just aren’t a lot of people who call this particular place home in relation to its size.

Along with the recognized human population, the birthplace of the Yooper is also home to a large variety of animal species. This recognized list includes large mammals such as wolves, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and moose, just to name a few. Since these creatures called this place home long before European settlers even considered setting up shop and planting roots, those who eventually decided to try and build a life on this piece of land had to learn how to live their lives while being constantly on guard and remain aware of their surroundings at all times. It is historically recognized that the U.P. from the days of old was at one point considered to be nothing more than a “sterile” and rough place that could not be tamed and was destined to remain a dense and inhospitable wilderness for the foreseeable future. But, as with most areas in the United States, this too fell beneath the constant pounding hammer of progress (mining), and eventually, people began to move in and call this place home.

While not so much a pressing issue by today’s standards and ways of living, the Upper Peninsula is still considered a rough and rural place to live. Even though we currently reside in the 21st Century, one must still take caution when choosing to venture into the wild side of the U.P. as it is a very real possibility that, either due to accident or foul play, one could disappear and never been seen again. In fact, data that has been collected by NamUs (The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) has placed Michigan at number 7 on the list of the Top 10 states with the most missing people. Currently, there are 556 officially designated missing people from within the state. Some of the cases centered around these individuals are considered active and ongoing, while others have stalled and gone cold, thus leaving friends and family of these unfortunate souls to go through life without any sense of closure, both good or bad.

While nobody ever wants a case involving a missing individual to grow cold and go unsolved, it must be recognized that there is something inherently fascinating about the ones that do eventually get designated as such. To know that there is an individual out there who has remained missing regardless of the consistent efforts made by multiple people and agencies to find them and bring them home, well, it’s just downright spooky and unsettling. What happened to these people and where did they go? Did some choose to vanish and start a new life somewhere else? Or did they meet a tragic end at the hands of some vile individual? Only the missing knows the truth.

Cold cases are littered throughout history and it wouldn’t take long for someone to stumble upon a list that presents a multitude of these categorized crimes. Modern cases (those originating from the 1980s to the present day) will often be presented front and center as these are the ones with the most information surrounding them. Friends and family of the missing person are often still alive and can present a plethora of photographs, videos, and recordings of the missing individual to the media which can help bring their loved one home. With these cases, it is in the best interest of the investigating police agency and the affected families to keep their loved ones as the main focus within the ever-changing news cycle in an effort to bring them back home safely. These cases are still considered “new” and because of that, hope still exists that they will be solved.

But what about the cases that aren’t considered new or modern anymore? The ones that have long since been removed from front pages of newspapers, taken off multiple Top 10 lists, and have taken up residence between stacks of yellowed paper in dusty library archives? Typically, these cases forever remain unsolved until they are no longer thought about and officially become lost to time never to be remembered again. But every so often, one of these unsolved cases is discovered by chance, and with it, the door is opened once again for the memory of the missing to walk back through. It just so happens that this is one of those cases.

On August 23, 1907, the Watertown Weekly Leader, which operated out of Jefferson County, WI, ran a story that featured the headline, “Unsolved Mystery of Missing Boy.” The article related an event which took place a year prior on July 31, 1906, in which a young boy vanished from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan under strange circumstances and was never seen again. The child, whose name is never mentioned within the story, was listed only as the son of one John Karvela, a man who lived with his family in the township of Allouez, MI. At the time of his disappearance, the boy was just 3 years old.

According to the relatively short article, on July 31, the Karvela children were making their way through the woods in order to reach a spot in which to meet their father who was returning home from work. As they made their way through the dense trees, the 3-year-old, who was walking on his own, is reported to have grown tired and made it known that he did not want to continue on. The older children, who still wished to see their father, instructed the toddler to sit down and not move from that spot until they had all returned. Fully trusting that the boy would listen and stay put, his siblings continued forward through the woods without a second thought as to what they just did.

Later, after an unknown amount of time had passed, the group returned to the spot where they had left the boy with their father leading the way. The only problem was that the toddler was nowhere to be found. Immediately frantic, the group searched the surrounding area for the missing child, but after a few hours of chaotic searching, they returned home without the 3-year-old. Determined to find his missing son, John rallied a large group of men and lead them to the area he believed the boy could possibly be. A thorough search of the dense forest was performed, but this ultimately ended in defeat as well. As the sun began to set and darkness started to roll in, the large group of searchers had no other choice but to return to their homes and pick up the search again the next day. If the boy was out there, he would have to remain in the darkness alone until dawn broke again the next morning.

At first light, the team returned to the woods and continued their search for the missing boy. Scrub brush was pushed aside and looked under, hollowed logs were checked, and animal dens were dug out in hopes that even the smallest trace of the boy would be discovered, but sadly, nothing was ever found. It was as if the 3-year-old toddler who was left alone in the woods had simply vanished into thin air. The parents, not wanting to give up hope, continued their search efforts around the area for days on end, but eventually, they too had to face the harsh reality and accept the fact that their child was gone and never coming back.

Speculation in the area ranged greatly as to what horrible fate the child had met that day while alone in the woods. An animal attack was considered a strong possibility, but if this were the case, pieces of clothing, or even pieces the child himself would have more than likely been discovered during the search. Some thought that perhaps the youngster had fallen into a concealed pit of some sort and had become trapped in such a way that it rendered him completely immobile, while others believed that a fall into this same undiscovered pit may have killed him instantly. While considered a plausible scenario, no such pits were uncovered during the multiple-day search.

Theories surrounding the disappearance of the boy came and went regularly as time went on, and while most started strong, they eventually fell apart when looked at more critically. To those on the outside looking in on this mystery, it appeared as if the missing boy had simply fallen victim to the elements due to negligence and his body was unfortunately concealed in some way. But to those within Allouez who had been a part of the mystery since day one, the possibility that something natural had happened to the toddler was beginning to fade, and a new theory as to what happened that day started to emerge. It was now strongly believed by many, that the Karvela boy had been a victim of kidnapping.

While a few in the area scoffed at the idea of a possible kidnapping, believers in the theory did present some intriguing, albeit completely circumstantial, evidence as to the possibility of it being true. The rehashed facts that an animal attack was unlikely were paired with the belief that a 3-year-old would not have made it far through such dense woods without leaving a piece of evidence behind (example: a shoe or scrap of clothing). Combine this with the fact that the initial group of searchers was made up of highly experienced woodsmen and trackers who also failed to locate any sign of the child, and the possibility of a kidnapping begins to look more plausible. Finally, to help legitimize their theory, believers in this scenario brought to mind an eerily similar case of a child who disappeared 26 years earlier and took place roughly 150 miles away. They reminded everyone of the mysterious disappearance of Willie Dickinson.

The story of Willie Dickinson goes all the way back to November 1, 1881, and took place in the small village (official designation at the time) of Commonwealth, which is located within Florence County, Wisconsin. The town, which had been founded in 1879 as both a mining and lumbering village, is located just roughly three miles from the Wisconsin/Michigan (U.P.) border and is a part of what is known as The Menominee Iron Range. At the time, the village of Commonwealth was “controlled” exclusively by the Commonwealth Iron Mining Company which operated within the area. While it was quite common at this point in history for companies to both establish and control smaller villages and settlements, what was not common was for the company big shots to live within these villages themselves. So, as a means to keep a close watch on what was happening within these locations, the company would often appoint an overseer or superintendent to serve as a representative of the company itself. For the village of Commonwealth, the mining company appointed one Captain William Edmund Dickinson to act as superintendent.

The story goes that on Tuesday the 1st, 6-year-old Willie (full name William Walker Dickinson) was walking the mile home from school when he made a brief stop at his aunt’s house to pick up a coat that he had mistakenly left there the day before. He informed his aunt that he was going to rush home to spend time with his baby brother who was born just a few weeks earlier. The woman laughingly told him that he should run and watched the 6-year-old walk out the door and head towards his home which was located not far away. At about 3:45 pm, along the well-traveled path, the boy encountered an employee of his father who asked where he was headed and kindly offered the child a ride. Telling the man the same information that he had told his aunt, he declined the offer and hurried on his way for he did not have much further to go. The man, content the boy would make it home safely, wished Willie and his brother the best, bid the boy a good day, and continued on his journey. Unbeknownst to him though, this would be the last confirmed sighting anyone in the village would have of young Willie Dickinson.

At around 6 pm Willie’s mother, Elizabeth Stone Gray Dickinson, began to grow concerned that her son had not yet returned home from school. This was out of the ordinary for the child always made it back well before the evening started. At this same time, Captain Dickinson, Willie’s father, had walked in the door and instantly noticed that something was not right. His wife was pacing the home in a nervous state and when she turned to face him, she shrieked that Willie was missing. Wasting no time, Captain Dickinson altered the village that his son was missing and that he required the assistance of every able-bodied man who could spare it. Before long, the determined father mustered a group of 600 men who ventured into the woods to search for his son. Later that night, an additional 200 more men joined the desperate search for this missing child.

It is reported that on the day Willie was last seen, the weather in Commonwealth had been “unusually fine” and oddly comfortable. This uncharacteristically pleasant weather remained until night when a large and unexpected snowstorm abruptly moved into the area. This change in temperature remained well into Wednesday as snow continued to fall sporadically across the county. The resolute Captain, realizing that the clock was ticking on finding his son alive, rallied the men as if they were soldiers and stressed how important it was to be thorough in their search techniques. The determined men returned to the woods on foot, on horseback, and in wagons; multiple teams of ten men total, each lead by an appointed captain, systematically checked the woods in gridlike sweeps. Steam whistles located at the mine were ordered to sound in designated intervals to alert the men if anything was found. This neverending search continued day and night for three solid days, but sadly, nothing of the boy was found. Willie’s mother and father grew so desperate to find their son that Captain Dickinson hired a group of thirty Native American’s to search the woods and surrounding areas for an uninterrupted week in hopes of finding any trace of their boy, but after the week was over, the group walked out of the woods with the same heartbreaking result.

After these initial searches turned up zero evidence to prove that young Willie was still in the Commonwealth area, people in the village began to talk about the serious possibility that he may have been kidnapped. Word spread and it was believed by many that Willie was taken as an act of revenge by some shady men in the area who were previously removed from the village at the request of Captain Dickinson after catching them “in an act of villainy.” To further help sell this theory, a boy from Commonwealth named Sullivan claimed that on the day Willie vanished, he witnessed from a distance two men run-up to the boy, throw a bag over his head, and carry him away at a quick pace. Sullivan stated that it happened in such an instant that he couldn’t be sure as to what he saw, but when cries rang out in Commonwealth that evening that young Willie Dickinson had gone missing, he alerted some men involved in the search. Sadly though, the report from the child was not really taken seriously at the time and Captain Dickinson was unaware of the sighting.

Not long after this, Pinkerton detectives were hired to look into the matter, and a total standing reward of $3,200 ($81,656 in 2020 after inflation) was offered by Captain Dickinson to anyone who could provide the safe return of his son. The story of the disappearance, as well as the reward, was published in nearly every active newspaper in the United States at that time. History states that the Dickinson family, who were extremely well-off and well connected, nearly went broke trying to solve the mystery of what happened to their son. They were willing to spend every last dollar they had in order to bring their child home, but in doing so, they were opening the door to every criminal and con artist hoping to get a piece of the unclaimed reward.

When newspapers around the country began to spread the story of the missing young child, a common description of the boy was often present within the article. The description, which was most often seen at that time, is shared as follows:

[From The Florence County News, Wisconsin, Saturday, November 12, 1881]

“WILLIE W. DICKINSON’S description: Age six years, hair very dark brown, thin and fine, with tendency to grow in a point at the forehead and just below each temple towards the cheek - not inclined to curl, penciled eyebrows, the left one with a curve in the center higher than the right one. Blue grey eyes which almost close when laughing, one ear round at the top, the other as if it had been pinched at the rim on top. Ears good size and well set to the head; not spreading. Teeth grow quite wide apart, are small, has lost one on the lower jaw front, and another one coming in its place, several teeth loose in front which he may soon lose, to be replaced by second teeth. Skin very white especially on the body. Large toe on each foot as if swollen and feet apt to blister by rough shoes or much walking. Is quick and energetic in motion, impulsive and quick to resent any indignity or wrong, shy with strangers and not very talkative with those not known to him, very observant and with excellent memory of places, often carries his hands deep in his pants pockets, is fond of playing horse and inclined to tease people playfully, has a decided way of saying “no” with rising inflection of voice when he refuses to do anything, has a merry joyous disposition naturally which might become a sulky one by ill treatment. Is a very affectionate boy easily touched by kindness. Is large for his age.

DRESS: High neck long sleeved white merino shirt, cotton flannel drawers, red mottled stockings, machine knit, grey flannel shirt waist, with light pink stripes, brown (mottled) knee pants. Wore No. 11 shoes laced in front with copper toes. Black cloth cap flat on top with visor, ear pieces which he wears often inside the cap, black ulster coat, well worn, mended at the left hand pocket, frayed a good deal at the edges and button holes, and a pair of bright red mittens in pocket, attached together with dark tape.”

As the story spread around the country, the Dickinson family and the Pinkerton’s began to receive letters in the mail from people claiming to have not only seen Willie based upon the description that the papers were providing, but that they also knew where he could be found. Some letters arrived from anonymous writers who claimed to have been the kidnapper(s), and other vile individuals went so far as to even boast about how they murdered the boy and that his body would never be found. Understanding the gravity of the situation, and not wanting to possibly miss an opportunity to bring their son home either alive or dead, both Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson personally went to nearly every single location where people had claimed to have seen their son, as well as nearly every location from where a letter was sent anonymously. For the locations in which they could not make it to personally, Pinkerton detectives were sent in their place. Unfortunately, all leads proved to go nowhere.

Letters continued to pour into the Dickinson residence from multiple locations within Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Washington, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania just to name a few. Mrs. Dickinson traveled to all these locations on her own to speak with the letter writers and possible witnesses. But even though some information provided by these individuals was intriguing and gave the Pinkerton’s something to investigate more thoroughly, they ultimately all ended in defeat like so many other leads before them. Captain Dickinson even traveled to Cornwall, England, to look into a tip that said the man who both kidnapped and murdered his son could be found in a penitentiary there. While this tip proved to be false, a reward of £500 pounds sterling was later offered to anyone in England at the time who could provide accurate information as to the whereabouts of young Willie Dickinson.

As the years passed by, the story of the missing Dickinson child remained a notable tale within the news. By the 1890s, orphanages with runaways and jails with teenagers as inmates began to contact the family and alert them to the possibility that they had living within their building a now teenaged Willie Dickinson. The aging parents would rush to the location and meet with their possible long lost son who would retell the tale of how he was kidnapped that day and what he did to survive all those years which had passed by. The stories, on the surface at least, seemed to be accurate and were often filled with details of the Dickinsons family life and sprinkled with intimate details of the village at the time of the kidnapping. But after some time, the story would be revealed to be nothing more than a clever ruse carried out by young con men who wished to get a hold of the reward.

The details these criminals would use in their stories were simply gathered from the multiple newspapers who ran the story through the years. Readers at the time became so invested in the story of the missing 6-year-old boy, that reporters would print whatever information they could gather about the family regardless if it had anything to do with the disappearance or not. This total lack of privacy and complete disregard for the family’s well-being at the time essentially acted like a dinner bell for the criminal underbelly of that time period. One teenaged crook even made it so far as to be taken home by Mrs. Dickinson as she truly felt upon their meeting that she had finally found her missing son. This lie soon imploded though when the grown partner of the boy tried to cut him out of the reward money that they had previously agreed to split if their deception proved successful. The imposter Willie was so angry by this backstabbing that he came clean to Mrs. Dickinson herself after learning first hand that there was no honor among thieves.

Year after year and disappointment after disappointment, the family slowly came to terms with the fact that they would never again see their precious son and brother. In 1899, 18 years after the disappearance, Captain William Edmund Dickinson passed away in Commonwealth, WI. Twenty-six years later, Willie’s mother Elizabeth, at the age of 81, passed away in Minneapolis, MN. The mystery of what happened to their son never having been solved for either of them.

Throughout the years, many have looked into the disappearances of both the Karvela boy and Willie Dickinson. Distant family members, amateur historians, and armchair detectives have all taken a shot at possibly solving the crimes. While no solid evidence can be found as to what exactly happened to either child, many truly do feel that kidnappers are somehow to blame. The reason for the crimes though, well, that’s the part nobody can figure out. It’s as if one day the universe just decided that something bad needed to happen to these children and nobody was allowed to know why.

History lists the Willie Dickinson kidnapping as “second only to that of Charley Ross in prominence,” and “one of the only cases the Pinkerton’s never cracked.” The financial and well-connected standing of Willie’s family allowed for the case to be a main focus within the news for well over 40 years. Even to this day, the mystery of the missing Commonwealth boy is occasionally brought up. But let it be known that just because the Dickinson case received much more attention than the later Karvela one, that doesn’t mean that one family suffered more than the other. Societal standing means nothing to a family who has lost a child, and the pain of that loss is in no way easier to bear once that case has gone cold.

At the time of this writing, Willie Dickinson has officially been missing for 139 years. The 3-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Karvela has officially been missing for 114 years. May their memories never be forgotten.

-The Pine Barrens Institute

Image Credit: ‘Alone In The Woods’ by Katrina Ricker

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