Missing Children: Edward Adams and Michael Steffan
Lamont, PA/Ludlow, PA
April 16, 1910: On the morning of April 16, 1910, nine year old Edward Paul Adams (known as E.P. or Eddie. Some outlets list Edwin) was fishing in a stream with four other friends about a half mile from his home in Lamont, PA (just south of Kane, near present day James City). Adams and his friends met up with some older boys. One of the older boys tried to scare Adams and his group by telling them his father was a game warden and that they would be arrested for fishing without a license. The younger boys were not scared and continued fishing. When the older boy left them to catch up with his friends, he saw a “wild looking man” hiding in the bushes. He ran back to warn the young boys, but they were slow to respond as they thought he was joking around with them again. When they then heard the “wild man” in the woods, they dropped their fishing poles and began to run with the older boy. They claimed the man was following them and cursing loudly.
When they stopped to catch their breath, they realized that Adams was not with them. They called to him with no response. After a while they cautiously returned to where they had last seen him. Adams and the “wild man” were both gone. They ran home and told Adams’ parents.
Mr. Adams was the foreman at the United Natural Gas Company so he immediately organized a search party of hundreds of his workers and loggers from the local area. They scoured the forest all night, and within a short time thousands of people were looking for little Edward Adams. Even after several extensive searches, no trace of him was found.
Thirteen days later on April 29, mail carrier Carl Tew found a ransom note pinned to a railroad trestle in Lamont. The note, in crudely written letters, read, “WILL RETURN BOY FOR $10,000” with “LEAVE REWARD” on the back. Law enforcement investigated the ransom note, but it too was a dead end.
No trace of Edward Adams was ever found. Law enforcement and his family followed up on several leads throughout the country over the years, but none of them ever panned out.
The story does not end there.
On the same day thirteen miles away in Ludlow, Pennsylvania, seven year old Michael Steffan was fishing on the Windfall Creek with his older friend George Jankovich* (see note below). According to Jankovich, the pair fished until about noon. The older boy claims that he went ahead of Steffan a few times, but when he looked back and saw that Steffan wasn’t there, Ankovitch went back and searched for him. Since he couldn’t find the boy, he figured Steffan left and went home. When Ankovitch went to Steffan’s house to inquire about him, the young boy’s brother stated that he did not come home. When Steffan did not return by dark, a search was immediately launched.
The following Monday afternoon, 400 employees of the Curtis Leather Company, where Steffan’s father worked, were released to search for the boys. They searched the creek and all of the deep spots, all to no avail. As in the Adams’ case, many tips came in from around the country. People claimed to see the boy with strange men or with gypsies, but none of the leads were fruitful.
No concrete link was ever established between the two disappearances. However, foul play is suspected since the two young boys disappeared on the same day, just thirteen miles apart, while both were fishing. Sadly, no trace was ever found of either boy.
Their cases remain unsolved to this day.
Incidentally, 28 years later on May 8, 1938, 4 year old Marjorie West also disappeared without a trace about 11 miles from where both of the boys went missing.
(This story was compiled from several news accounts of their disappearances)
*A 1968 Kane Republican article mentions the friend as George Ankovitch. In 2022, a researcher could not find that name in the United States, but did find a George Jankovich in a 1924 Kane city directory. It is likely the name in the news story- 58 years later- was a typo.
When they stopped to catch their breath, they realized that Adams was not with them. They called to him with no response. After a while they cautiously returned to where they had last seen him. Adams and the “wild man” were both gone. They ran home and told Adams’ parents.
Mr. Adams was the foreman at the United Natural Gas Company so he immediately organized a search party of hundreds of his workers and loggers from the local area. They scoured the forest all night, and within a short time thousands of people were looking for little Edward Adams. Even after several extensive searches, no trace of him was found.
Thirteen days later on April 29, mail carrier Carl Tew found a ransom note pinned to a railroad trestle in Lamont. The note, in crudely written letters, read, “WILL RETURN BOY FOR $10,000” with “LEAVE REWARD” on the back. Law enforcement investigated the ransom note, but it too was a dead end.
No trace of Edward Adams was ever found. Law enforcement and his family followed up on several leads throughout the country over the years, but none of them ever panned out.
The story does not end there.
On the same day thirteen miles away in Ludlow, Pennsylvania, seven year old Michael Steffan was fishing on the Windfall Creek with his older friend George Jankovich* (see note below). According to Jankovich, the pair fished until about noon. The older boy claims that he went ahead of Steffan a few times, but when he looked back and saw that Steffan wasn’t there, Ankovitch went back and searched for him. Since he couldn’t find the boy, he figured Steffan left and went home. When Ankovitch went to Steffan’s house to inquire about him, the young boy’s brother stated that he did not come home. When Steffan did not return by dark, a search was immediately launched.
The following Monday afternoon, 400 employees of the Curtis Leather Company, where Steffan’s father worked, were released to search for the boys. They searched the creek and all of the deep spots, all to no avail. As in the Adams’ case, many tips came in from around the country. People claimed to see the boy with strange men or with gypsies, but none of the leads were fruitful.
No concrete link was ever established between the two disappearances. However, foul play is suspected since the two young boys disappeared on the same day, just thirteen miles apart, while both were fishing. Sadly, no trace was ever found of either boy.
Their cases remain unsolved to this day.
Incidentally, 28 years later on May 8, 1938, 4 year old Marjorie West also disappeared without a trace about 11 miles from where both of the boys went missing.
(This story was compiled from several news accounts of their disappearances)
*A 1968 Kane Republican article mentions the friend as George Ankovitch. In 2022, a researcher could not find that name in the United States, but did find a George Jankovich in a 1924 Kane city directory. It is likely the name in the news story- 58 years later- was a typo.
Media
E.P. Adams
(Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 7, 1910)
(Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 7, 1910)
Poster
Edward Adams and Michael Steffan missing from McKean County, PA since April 16, 1910
Railroads of the Area (1911 Rand McNally Map)
Image courtesy of MyGenealogyHound.com
Map of missing children in McKean County, PA
