Dates

• Existence: 1893 - 1974

Biographical Note

Roy Franklin Jones (1893-1974) was an early aviator in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and the founder of Northbird Aviation Company and co-founder of Pioneer Airways.

Roy Franklin Jones was born on October 16, 1893 in Sumas, Washington to Arvilla and W.W. Jones. During 1909, Jones was in Seattle and worked at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. He started college at the Univeristy of Washington in 1913. While in university, Jones spent summers working with the United States Coast Guard and Geodetic Survey along the coastal waters of Southeast Alaska. Jones also helped erect signal towers on the bluffs on the north side of San Francisco Bay, where the Golden Gate Bridge now sits.

In 1917 Jones dropped out of University of Washington to join the military during World War I. He originally enlisted in an ambulance company for service with the French, but delays caused a transfer to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps where he earned his wings. In 1919 he was discharged into the Reserves as a 2nd Lieutenant, Junior Aviator. Jones then headed to Alaska as a draftsman for Valuation Engineers, Inc. He obtained an engineer training assignment with the Hydraulic Section of Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Company where he worked on building the dam at Prineville, Oregon and the stadium at University of Washington, Seattle.

In 1920, he was laid off due to the Depression but managed to find work with Standard Oil Company at a service station. A year later Jones transferred to the Standard Oil Marine Division where he served as an Assistance Agent in the Alaska coastal trade. This helped spark an interest in the possibilities of aviation in Alaska.

In early 1922, Jones purchased a war-surplus Curtiss MF flying boat, installed a Hispano-Suiza engine, and named it "Northbird." On July 7, 1922, Jones and mechanic Gerald Smith began the first commercial flight from Seattle to Southeast Alaska. The duo landed in Ketchikan on July 17, 1922 and shortly after, Jones established Northbird Aviation Company. The company was short-lived. On August 5, 1923, the "Northbird" crashed in Heckman Lake. Jones and his passenger survived, but he did not have funds to restart the company.

In 1929, Jones, along with Vern Gorst and C.R. Wright established Pioneer Airways, an early Alaskan airline. Jones was the Operations Manager for the airline. In 1931, Jones left Pioneer and started working for United States Customs as an Inspector, where he searched vessels in foreign trade. In 1934, he became the lead Inspector.

In 1942, as the U.S. entered into World War II, Jones took a leave of absence to re-enter military service. He was assigned to research problems in Arctic Aircraft Operations at Ladd Field, Alaska. In 1944, Jones was transferred to China with the Office of Strategic Services and the 14th Air Force. Post-war, he returned to work with the U.S. Customs Service until his retirement in 1955.

At that time, Jones relocated to Vancouver, Washington. He authored Boundary Town, a local history book about Whatcom County and joined the Fort Vancouver Historical Society. He also served as editor of "Clark County History" newsletter and became interested in archaeology. Jones was President of the Oregon Archaeological Society and in 1972 published Wappato Indians," a book on Native American archaeology.

Roy Franklin Jones married Alice Mary Kincaid (1898-1922) in 1920. The couple had a daughter, Dorothy (1921-1969). After the death of Alice, Jones married his second wife, Grace Lillian Chapman (1892-1983), in 1925 and together they had two daughters, Carol (1926-1996) and Gwendolyn (1928-2018) and son Douglas (1930-2010). Jones died on February 17, 1974 in Vancouver, Washington. Roy Jones Mountain and Northbird peak in Alaska are named in honor of Roy Franklin Jones.

Biography derived from donor information, collection materials, and records on Ancestry.com.

Occupations

• Air pilots

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