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Note: Ethan Allan Jones 1874-1909 Allan was born at Fort Adam in Newport, R.I. Dec.12, 1874, third son of Corporal James NMI Jones and Cordelia Ann (Wicker) Jones, under the care of Post Surgeon John Campbell assisted by Hospital Steward J.H. Sanborn. Two older brothers, Paul at the age of 8, Ralph age 5 1/2, and a sister Harriet age 4 died of diptheria in 1876 at Charleston, S.C. where his father was stationed at the fort guarding the harbor. Sister Laura Virginia, with whom his mother had been pregnant during the other childrens deaths, was born there in December of that year. On Aril 13, 1878 his father was promoted to Ordnance Sergeant and transferred to take charge of Fort Totten at Willets Point protecting New York Harbor.
Fort Popham became his residence at the age of 8 at the transfer of his father to take charge of the garrison at the partially completed facility there.He attended public schools at Phippsburg and Bath.
He enlisted in the Hyde Light Guards, a local Volunteer Militia Co., organized in 1890 by Charles H. Nealy as Captain. They trained regularly and assisted locally in such matters as maintaining order and preventing looting after the great Bath fire of 189?.
At the time of the Spanish American War in 1897 the HLG became part of the Me. National Guard. Allan was promoted to Corporal by Col. George Philbrook on June 31st of that year. Early in 1898 they mustered at Fort Powers, Augusta to volunteer for duty in the Spanish American War, but only ? men including Cpl. E.A.Jones were transferred to Battery D. Ist Battalion, Heavy Artillery, Me. Volunteers. Promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant by Major Everard E. Newcomb on July 20th 1898, he fought in Cuba. After the war he was reinstated in the Maine National Guard, Company C , Second Regiment as Sergeant on Jan. 27th 1900 under his old war commander now a Colonel, Everard Newcomb.
Elizabeth Augusta Bradshaw (Lizzie) became his wife at Parkers Head on April 11th 1900 and their son Allan Loyall Jones was born in Bath Me. on September 20th of that year. Unfortunately "Lizzie" was dead of tuberculosis at age 23 in 1901.
For 12 years Allan had served his apprenticeship at Bath Iron Works as a marine machinist and, subsequently as sub foreman at Hyde Windlass Company.Shortly after marrying Bertha W. Chaney in 1902 he decided to look for greener pastures out of state.
On August 19th 1903 he was appointed a Navy Dept. Special Mechanic and worked in the office of the U.S. Inspector of Machinery for the Navy Dept., Bureau of Steam Engineering at the Columbian Iron Works, Baltimore, Md. for eight months. He then became Assistant Inspector at the Babcock & Wilcox Company, Bayonne N.J. on April 20th 1904 and lived in a duplex house at 114 West 5th Street in Bayonne.
On March 26th 1908 he applied to take the examination for the position of Assistant Inspector of engineering material at the Homestead Steel Works at Munhall, Pa. being held on Mar.31st. His request directed that a reply be addressed to E.A.Jones % John Jones, Box 7 Trafford, Pa., his Uncle's home where he must have stayed for a visit before taking the exam at nearby Munhall. Evidently he did not succeed in obtaining that position.
On Dec.21st 1909 he applied to Commander B.C. Decker USN of the Bureau of Steam Engineering Washington, D.C. for the position of Assistant Inspector of Engineering Material at the Brooklyn Navy Yard or any inspection office east of New York, preferably Boston. He reminded the Commander in his letter of application that he had been the official who had ably guided Commander Becker's tour of Babcock & Wilcox plant the previous October; and, since both Allan and his wife were New Englanders, they would prefer to avail their nine year old son of an education in the East, but would accept any assignment.
Two days later he died in the emergency operating room of acute appendicitis at Bayonne, New Jersey, a young man of 35 years whose promising career ended much too soon.
**"History of Bath" by Henry Wilson Owen (Page 281 Hyde Light Guards roster) (Page 522 Roster Batt.D,1st Battalion, Heavy Artillery, Maine Volunteers] lists Sgt. Ethan A. Jones among the Spanish War Volunteers.
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