William BEAN

                   Historical information included in notes.


William Bean came to Watauga in 1769 and erected a log cabin at the mouth of Boone's Creek. Gradually a settlement grew up around him composed largely of the families of the Regulators whom the tyranny of Governor Tryon had driven out of North Carolina. Their son, Russell, is credited as the first white child born in Tennessee. They were participants in the forming of the Watauga Colony, a response to the lack of North Carolina government protection. In July, 1776, militant Cherokees prepared to attack illegal white communities on the Watauga River. The famous Cherokee, Nancy Ward, disapproved of intentionally taking civilian lives. Nancy was able to warn several of the Watauga settlements in time for them to defend themselves or flee. Lydia was unfortunate enough to be taken alive by the Cherokee warriors as she made her way from her home on Boone's Creek to Sycamore Shoals. She was taken to an Indian camp where she found 13 year old Samuel Moore, also a prisoner. The Indians, with Samuel as interpreter, asked Lydia many questions concerning the strength of the whites--how many forts they dad, how many soldiers in each, whether they had powder, etc. She answered these questions so as to leave the impression that the settlers were able to take care of themselves. She was then condemned to death, bound, taken to the top of one of the mounds and was about to be burned, when Nancy Ward, then exercising in the nation the functions of the Beloved or Pretty Woman, interfered and pronounced her pardon. Her life was spared. Samuel was not so lucky and was burned at the stake."Dawn of Tennessee Valley and Tennessee History," by Samuel Cole Williams, (formerly Justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, The Watauga Press, Johnson City, Ten. 1937:Footnote 7, page 337:William Bean was of Augusta county before his removal to the "south-side of Virginia about 1753." Dunlap, Augusta County, 108. The name is listed in the militia forces of that county in 1742. He was perhaps forced southeastward by repeated Indian raids on the inhabitants of Augusta. In Capt. George Robinson's company his name appears along with those of Ren froe and Cole, who also removed to Pittsylvania County, then Lunenburg. Bean was a man of parts and substance. He and his son William owned 1083 acres of land on Dan River, and his home was a center for the early roads, Va. Mag. of Hist. XXIV, 191. Bean's Station in Grainger County, Tennessee was established by Robert Bean, a son of William. The latter married Lydia Russell, sister of George and John Russell, who about 1773 be came neighbors of Bean on Watauga. The Russell's were, perhaps, sons an d daughters of Wm. Russell of Pittsylvania. The first white child born to permanent settlers was Russell Bean, son of William and Lydia.p. 337-339:Living in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, barely across the colonial line (about a mile or two) from the region where Regulation was rife, was William Bean, neighbor of a number of the long-hunters who had scoured the western woods in previous years. No doubt he had heard and been intrigued by their accounts, and also by those of soldiers of Pittsylvania who had been on the campaign of 1761-1762. It is highly probable that he was one of the party seeking the West, just referred to. Bean in likelihood cleared the land in the fall of 1768, and in 1769, he removed to Watauga and built his cabin on Boone's Creek about one hundred yards from its junction with Watauga River, where Boone on his trips across the mountains had a hunting camp. The immediate mouth of that creek is a fall. The place was wisely chosen, first by Boone, and then by Bean for his home. His cabin, constructed on the side of a ridge, was hidden from any Indians who might pass by canoe along the river. The fall prevented the turning of a canoe out of the river into the creek. Historians are quite in agreement, and seemingly correctly so, in awarding to William Bean, the honor of being the first permanent white settler in Tennessee. Ramsey states that he hunted with Daniel Boone, knew his camp site and selected it as
the place of settlement because of the abundance of game there, though no authority is given for the statement and none has been found. It was probably based upon tradition handed down through sons of Bean.Soon there gathered about Bean on Boone's and Cedar Creeks (in what became Washington County) a number of his relatives and old neighbors from Pittsylvania and adjoining counties. Among the many were his sons, John and William, his wife's brothers, George and John Russell, Thomas Hardeman, John Chisholm, William Stone, and George Gray. (In a foot note: George and John Russell are listed as brothers-in-law of William Bean. George Russell was a captain under Sevier in the Battle of King's Mountain .) This phase of Bean's career that of colonizer, gives him an added and striking significance in our history. Such a colonizer must rank above a fortuitous "first settler," combining, of necessity, dependability, initiative, probity and the qualities that not only win confidence but h old and bind followers. Bean demonstrated all these qualities in his life on the Watauga.pg 380, History of Crawford County - will of William Bean"In the name of God, Amen: I, William Bean, being in perfect mind and memory and calling to mind the mortality of my own body and knowing that it is appointed for all men to die, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testimony, revoking all others by me made."First, principal and first of all I give and bequeath my soul to Almighty God, relying on his mercy through Christ, and my body to the dust from whence it came. As touching the worldly wherewithal it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Lydia, one Negro girl named Grace and all my horses and cattle and hogs and sheep and all my household goods, together with the mill and land whereon I now live, during her natural life and after her decease the land and mill to be given to my beloved son, Russell. The remainder that is given to my beloved wife at her decease to be equally divided among my children and all residue and remainder of my estate, real and personal, and all my last debts being paid, to be equally divided among my surviving children. Also, I leave my sons, Williams and Robert and George, executors of my last will."Signed: X."(Mark of William Bean.)"Signed, sealed and declared in the presence of us this sixth day of January, 1782."Signed: Thomas Hardiman, John Callahan, and Robert Stone."