William Bean
| William Bean | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1721 St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia |
| Died | May 1782 Washington District, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Longhunter |
| Known for | being the first permanent settler in Tennessee |
| Title | Commissioner, Washington District, North Carolina |
| Spouse(s) | Lydia Russell (1726-1788) |
Captain William "Billy" Bean (December 9, 1721 – May 1782) was a Trans-Appalachian pioneer; longhunter; and Commissioner of North Carolina's Washington District.
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Personal life [edit]
William Bean was born December 9, 1721 in St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia. In 1741 he married Lydia Russell (b. September 29, 1726). They were to become the future Tennessee area's first permanent European-American settlers;[1] and were both of English descent.[1]
Frontier settler [edit]
Bean was an associate of Daniel Boone's and a fellow longhunter. In 1769, he built a cabin close to the junction of Boone's Creek and Watauga Creek, near what is today Johnson City, Tennessee. It is said[by whom?] that either Bean visited the site with Boone, or Boone and a friend, Richard Callaway, visited it when exploring as agents for Richard Henderson, a land speculator who later played an important role in the early settlement of Tennessee.[2][3]
Later that year, the first child of permanent European-American settlers born in Tennessee, Russell Bean, was born there.[4]
Later life [edit]
Bean's cabin soon attracted other pioneer families, who participated in the formation of the Watauga Association, a semi-autonomous colony.[citation needed]
After its formation in 1776, Bean was named a Commissioner of North Carolina's Washington District.[1]
Death [edit]
Bean died in May 1782 at German Creek, Washington County, North Carolina (now Grainger County, Tennessee).[1]
Namesake [edit]
Later relatives of Bean established what became Bean Station, in present day Grainger County, Tennessee.[5]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d William Bean I Genealogy
- ^ Ramsey, The Annals of Tennessee, 66-69.
- ^ Hamer, Tennessee: A History, 64.
- ^ Tennessee Historical sign
- ^ Bean Station history
Further reading [edit]
- Carolyn Sakowski; Touring the East Tennessee Backroads; J.F. Blair, pub.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; 1993; pp. 86–87.
