Keenan, William

KEENAN, KAMMERER, LYMAN, WHITE

Posted By: Bonnie Hargraves (email)
Date: 3/15/2003 at 17:45:14

William Keenan has been a peace officer in and around Grinnell for sixteen years and his record is a first class one. His first experience in wearing a star was a constable in Washington Township. He resided then at Oak Grove where he owned and operated a farm in conjunction with his duties as a constable.

Later on, Mr. Keenan moved to Grinnell and soon thereafter was made a constable. So good was his work that Mayor Kammerer, in looking about for good material for the position of night police, selected Mr. Keenan for the position. He served through the Kammerer administration and was appointed to the same position under Mayor Lyman.

Then he was off the police force for a while, but continued as a constable. When Mayor White was elected, he appointed Mr. Keenan as a night patrolman and he has worked almost continually since then in interests entrusted to him.

Many good catches have been made by Mr. Keenan during his career as a police officer, among them being serial murderers and other desperate criminals. A long time ago he took it upon himself to regulate "Hobo's Rest" out at the fair grounds, and although it proved a monster task, he succeeded in keeping those grounds pretty free from the "gentry of the road."

Bill is a grandad, too, and he"s proud of it. He has four married daughters, a son in Troop D First Iowa Cavalry, and another son 14 years old. He was born in Vermont and has resided in or near Grinnell for forty-five years. He owns a good farm of 130 acres near the city and was owner and manager of the Antlers Hotel for one year.