McGeehan, William John

Submitted by Mike Miller

William John McGeehan is a distinguished citizen of the Crescent City, and in the arena of Orleans parish politics he has held a prominent place, and is considered an acquisition to the democrat party, which he at all times supports. At the present time he is very efficiently discharging the numerous duties city clerk of the criminal district court of the pariah, and is proving himself the right man in the right place, for besides being trustworthy and accommodating, he is very efficient and energetic. He was born in the city of New Orleans September 19, 1846, and is a son of James and Mary (Morrison) McGeehan, both of whom were born in Ireland and were useful citizens. They left the isle of Erin for the United States in the latter part of the twenties or the early part of the thirties and located in Philadelphia, Penn., and in the Quaker City they were married, but left that city in 1832 to come to New Orleans, removing soon after to the Lone Star state, where they only resided a short time, as they were very much dissatisfied with the outlook there. While on their way to that state they were shipwrecked on the gulf and all their worldly possessions were wrecked. They returned to New Orleans, which city continued to be their home until their respective deaths. James McGeehan followed the calling of drayman in New Orleans and was highly honored by all who knew him, for he was honest in every particular, genial in disposition and generous and friendly. During the late war he was detailed by the confederate government, his headquarters being at Mobile, Ala. James McGeehan died in 1879 at the age of seventy-six years and his wife in 1890 at that age also. They were devout Catholics and to their union ten children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the ninth; only three members of this family are now living. William John McGeehan, who is familiarly known to the citizens of the Crescent City as "Johnie McGeehan," received his education in the public schools of New Orleans and St. Alphonse, but when quite young he quit school to enter Armstrong's foundry, where he worked at the molder's trade. After leaving that establishment he worked in many prominent machine shops and foundries in which he showed himself to be a skillful workman, but he afterward entered the arena of politics, for which he always had a taste, and was elected a member of the city council during the Behan administration. Later he was elected clerk of the civil district court of the parish of Orleans, but prior to this he had been deputy sheriff under Sheriffs Gauthreaux and James D. Houston, after which he was superintendent' of the city carts, in the department of public improvement, under E. A. Burke and the city surveyor's department under Hardy. He was general license inspector under John McEnery, but has held other positions of importance and trust. He is a member of the Irish-American club, the Crescent Democratic club and is on the board of directors of the latter. Since he attained his majority he has always voted the democratic ticket, and has always adhered to the principle, of that party. In 1882 he was married to Miss Grace Barr, of St. Louis, Mo., to which union four children have been born-three daughters and one son, one daughter being now deceased Mr. McGeehan is very popular with the voters of New Orleans and has many warm friends in all walks of life, as he fully deserves to have.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 487-488. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.