Yolo-Los Angeles-Colusa County CA Archives Biographies.....Keehn, Benjamin E., William, Frank, John And August 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 23, 2006, 9:12 pm

Author: Tom Gregory (1913)

KEEHN BROS.

    That there has been a continuous development of the building industry in
Woodland and that the place presents an unusally attractive appearance by reason
of its beautiful homes and substantial public structures, may be attributed in
large degree to the persistent and permanent efforts of the contracting firm of
Keehn Bros., comprising five brothers, Benjamin E., William, Frank, John and
August, all of whom are natives of Stark county, Ohio, all received public
school educations and all were trained to exceptional thoroughness in the
occupation they chose for their life-work. Unusual similarity therefore appears
in any narrative of their careers, for as they studied together in boyhood and
learned their trade together in youth, so together they have labored throughout
manhood's years and side by side they have labored for success in their chosen
calling. There are various departments of work in carpentering and contracting
and each brother has been delegated to the tasks for which nature best qualified
him, so that the desired result is secured more easily and more economically
than otherwise would be possible.

    In 1881 the family removed to Chillicothe, Livingston county, Mo. The first
of the brothers to leave the east for the broader opportunities offered by the
Pacific coast country was Benjamin E., who in the spring of 1886 went to
Caldwell, Idaho, remaining until August, 1887, when he came to California,
during the "boom" in Los Angeles that had its collapse in 1889, found ready
employment at his trade and remained for a time in that part of California.
After a visit at the old eastern home he again came to California and on this
occasion followed his trade at Colusa. After another visit in the east he came
back to the coast accompanied by his four brothers and in 1891 they settled in
Woodland, where they have since remained, actively and successfully engaged as
contractors and builders. All are competent and experienced workmen, able to
carry to completion any task connected with the erection of a building. Besides
their building and indeed as an aid to the same, they own and operate a planing
mill on Fifth near Main street and are thus enabled to furnish finishing lumber
on short order and in any desired quantity.

    Besides taking part in all activities connected with the building industry,
the brothers have been prominent in the social and public life of their
community and Benjamin E. likewise has been quite prominent locally in the
Woodmen of the World. They own their own homes and have an intimate association
with the welfare of their chosen location. So occupied have they been with the
filling of contracts that it would be impossible to give a complete list of
their work, but the following recapitulation shows how greatly in demand their
services have been, not only in their home town, but throughout the surrounding
country. The James Campbell residence near Davisville was one of their contracts
and they also erected the houses of George Hollingsworth, H. E. Coyle, Z.
Kincheloe, Frank Bullard, and the homes of Joseph Cooper at Yolo, Fred Miller,
Charles T. Laugenour, Thomas B. Gibson and George Merritt. Many business blocks
in Woodland have been remodeled under their supervision, a new plant has been
erected for the Standard Oil Company, an addition has been made to the Catholic
convent in Woodland, also a large annex and hall to the same, the Arcade block
was erected, new city water plant on Grand avenue, the Union warehouse, the
alfalfa mill, the Ogden warehouse, a large shed for the West Valley Lumber
Company, the parsonage of the German Lutheran Church, the electric garage, the
College stable, an addition to the county hospital, the warehouse at Merritt
Station, many barns in various parts of Yolo county, and in Woodland -the
residences of Dr. Fairchild, Mrs. Ford, W. B. Collins, W. M. Germeshausen, Ed
Leake, J. J. Brown, E. B. Cranston, Dr. Alexander, Mrs. B. Weber, Dan Jacobs,
Edward Germeshausen and William Johnston. While this list is far from complete
it is sufficient to indicate the enterprise of the firm and the far-reaching
nature of their contracts as well as their importance from the standpoint of the
permanent development of the community.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
TOM GREGORY
AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS
ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913]


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