| 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 | Lydia Russell |
William Bean born (December 9, 1721 in St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia, died May 1782 in German Creek, Washington District, North Carolina, later to become Washington (now Grainger) County, Tennessee) of English descent,[1] and was a Longhunter and pioneer. He and his wife, Lydia Russell, were Tennessee's first permanent European-American settlers.[1]
Bean was a friend of Daniel Boone. Most sources say that Bean built a cabin near the junction of Boone's Creek and Watauga Creek near what is today Elizabethton, Tennessee. It's said 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.[1][2][3][4]
Later in that year, the first child of permanent European-American settlers, Russell Bean, was born there.[5][6]
Bean's cabin soon attracted other pioneer families, who participated in the formation of the Watauga Association, a semi-autonomous colony, the first in Tennessee.
Later relatives of Bean established what became Bean Station, Tennessee in what is now Grainger County, Tennessee, which may have been visited by Bean and Boone.[7]