The schooner Ella M. Willey, 841 tons;, was launched by Dunn and Elliot in 1891 with Captain Walter B. Willey as master. Dunn and Elliot produced schooners, which were easier on gear and required smaller crews than the larger Down Easters and clipper ships with numerous topsails.

Many of the Dunn and Elliot vessels were named after Thomaston family members.

Ella M. Willey (1883-1907) was the daughter of Walter B. Willey and Annie L. Dunn Willey (1855-1879), daughter of Thomas Watson Dunn (1821-1904) and Elizabeth Morse Dunn (1835-1916). The Dunn and Elliot families were prominent in Thomaston shipbuilding and sailmaking for over 100 years.

Two streets in Thomaston that intersect on a hill overlooking the waterfront bear the family names of Dunn and Elliot.