Full Name: John William Gates

Alternative Name:

Case Status: Missing

Record ID#: 0192

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: Circa 1883
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Age at the Time: 33
Age Group: 30s
Biological Sex: Male
Hair: Brunette but with a receding hairline
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Ethnicity: Caucasian or White
Nationality: United States
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*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

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Date of the Disappearance*: April 23, 1916

Description: John William Gates, born around 1883 in Iowa, was a 33-year-old resident of Longmont, Colorado, at the time of his disappearance on April 23, 1916—an Easter Sunday. He was described as a white male, approximately 5’9″ to 6’0″ tall, weighing 160–180 pounds, with brown hair and a receding hairline. Census records indicate he moved to Colorado before 1900 as a farm laborer, married Delphia (last name possibly Coffman or similar, based on family ties to the street) in 1903, and worked as a “teamster in transfer” by 1910, hauling goods. They had three young children and lived on Coffman Street in Longmont, Boulder County. Gates was portrayed as a reliable provider, devoted husband, and kind father prior to vanishing, with no known financial or marital issues prompting voluntary departure.

Gates left home that morning with no explanation, and Delphia reported no contact since. In her May 1917 court affidavit, she expressed fear of an accident, emphasizing his exemplary character. The family received no public assistance initially, as Colorado’s Mother’s Compensation program (a precursor to modern welfare) required proof of abandonment or death. Delphia eventually qualified based on the investigator’s findings, which corroborated her account through neighbors and records.

Family accounts surrounding John William Gates’ disappearance on April 23, 1916, from Longmont, Colorado, have given rise to several theories and rumors, passed down through generations. One prominent theory suggests that Gates, a teamster, was hauling supplies to tungsten mines in western Boulder County when his wagon or early truck veered off a steep, unpaved mountain road, possibly due to an accident, with his remains lost in the rugged terrain where recovery was unlikely given the era’s limited search capabilities. Another rumor posits that Gates was murdered, potentially by a brother-in-law over a disputed mining partnership, with the suspect later imprisoned for unrelated crimes; this theory is fueled by the violent context of 1916 Longmont, including an unsolved local murder, though no direct evidence ties Gates to such an event. A less supported speculation is that Gates voluntarily abandoned his family, perhaps enlisting in World War I under an alias or fleeing to start a new life, despite his documented devotion as a husband and father, with no records indicating prior instability or draft registration under his name.

Multiple Victims?: No

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*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

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Description: Unknown

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Suspected Homicide?:

Multiple Victims?: No

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*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

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