Thomas Keenan was born in the north of Ireland and settled in county Down, Ireland, where he died, aged one hundred years or more. He had children:
James, mentioned below.
John, William, Charles and Ann.

(II) James, son of Thomas Keenan, ws born in county Down, Ireland, and died there. He married Mary Ellis and had James and Mary.

(III) James (2), son of James (1) Keenan, was born in 1819 in county Down, Ireland, and died there in 1849. He was a farmer and also in the employ of the government.
He married Mary Brown, born in Ireland, 1819, died 1843.
Children:
1. Thomas, resides in Waddington, N.Y.
2. William, mentioned below.
3. Sarah, married Philip Bennet, and lives in Ogdensburg, N.Y.

(IV) William, son of James (2) Keenan, was born in county Mayo, Ireland, May 15, 1839. He attended the schools in his native parish in Ireland, and came to this country when twelve years of age. As a young man he worked at farming in Louisville, N.Y. He enliseted for the civil war in 1861 for three years, in Company G, Sixtieth New York Infantry, and was in the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. At Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, he was seriously wounded, and was taken to the hospital there, and later to Philadelphia, whence he was discharged, Dec. 1, 1864. He was engaged in all the battles of the war with the Army of the Potomac.
Returning home, he bought a farm on Goose Neck Island, Louisville, N.Y., and carried it on until failing health compelled him to give it up. He went to Colorado to recuperate, and returning east located in Potsdam, N.Y. in 1889. For fifteen years he was librarian of the Potsdam Public Library, and is now (1910) living a retired life in Potsdam.
He is a Republican in politics, and a member of Racquette Lodge, No. 213, Free and Accepted Masons, of Potsdam, and of Marsh Post, Grand Army of the Republic.
He is a Presbyterian in religion.
He married, July 2, 1886, Frances, born in Louisville, Aug. 4, 1844, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Keenan) Stubbs.
Children:
1. Mary A., born Aug., 1867; resides in Montana.
2. Joseph J., May 6, 1869; mentioned below.
3. Clara M., married Harry Empson, of Syracuse, N.Y.
4. William E., resides in Montana, where he is a ranch owner and attorney; educated at Normal school in Potsdam and at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
5. Ernest C., graduate of Normal school and Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; served in Spanish war and in Philippines three years; on battleship "Indiana" during war; now teacher of mathematics at Syracuse University; married Grace Smead, of Potsdam.
6. Ethel, married Henry B. Stager, of Montana.
7. Grace, died aged sixteen.

(V) Joseph J., son of William Keenan, was born in Louisville, N.Y., May 6, 1869. He was educated in the district schools and at the Normal school in Potsdam, and for two and a half years taught school. In 1890 he entered the post office as clerk and later became assistant postmaster, holding that position thirteen years. In March, 1908, he was appointed postmaster of Potsdam by President Roosevelt, and still (1910) continues in office.
He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Order of Maccabees; Sons of Veterans.
He married, July 24, 1897, Lena Ruth, daughter of Henry DeElbert and Jane Goodnow. They have one son, DeElbert Ernest Keenan, born Oct. 22, 1899.

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