John S. Bean Biography

	This biography appears on pages 1003-1005 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	HON. JOHN S. BEAN is a native of the old Granite state, having been 
born in Warner, Merrimac county, New Hampshire, on the 16th of February, 
1839, a son of James and Marinda (Stewart) Bean, and the old homestead 
in which he first saw the light of day was likewise the birthplace of 
his honored father, who there passed his entire life, which was devoted 
to agricultural pursuits. He lived to attain the venerable age of 
eighty-two years and traced his lineage back to one of two brothers, 
John and David Bean, who were born in Scotland, whence they went to 
England, from which "tight little isle" they emigrated to America in 
1668, settling near historic old Plymouth, in the colony of 
Massachusetts, whence their descendants later scattered through various 
parts of New England. The mother of the subject was likewise born in New 
Hampshire, whither her parental grandparents came from Ireland. She died 
at the age of thirty years, and of her three children the subject is the 
only one living at the present time. James Bean became a member of the 
Know-nothing party at the time of its organization and later became a 
radical Republican, and while he never sought official preferment he was 
called upon to serve on the town board for many years and also held 
other offices of local trust. 

	John S. Bean was reared to the sturdy discipline of the New 
England farm and his early educational training was secured in the 
common schools, and supplemented by a two-years course in the New 
Hampton Academy. It was his desire to be graduated in this institution, 
but his financial resources reached so low an ebb that he was compelled 
to withdraw at the end of two years, and he then, at the age of 
nineteen, began teaching in the schools of his native state, devoting 
his attention to the pedagogic profession for three winters. In March, 
1861, he left the ancestral home and set forth upon his independent 
career, being dependent upon his own resources in facing the battle of 
life. He came west to Wisconsin, where he called upon his uncle, C. K. 
Stewart, whom he found confined to his bed with an illness which 
promised to be protracted, and under these conditions he was pressed 
into service and took charge of his uncle's farm. The Civil war 
commenced in April of that year and the subject was most anxious to at 
once tender his services in defense of the Union, but he was not able to 
leave his uncle until the 22d of October, 1862, when he enlisted as a 
private in Company D, Sixteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which 
he proceeded to the front, the regiment being assigned to the Army of 
the Tennessee. The regiment was in Prentice's division at the memorable 
battle of Shiloh, and this division was captured by the enemy, our 
subject having escaped this fate by reason of the fact that he had been 
wounded on the morning of the same day and thus incapacitated for 
service. He was in the hospital at Savannah, Georgia, and Mount Vernon, 
Indiana, about three months, after which he returned to Wisconsin and 
was detailed to recruiting service, being located in turn at Columbus, 
Beaver Dam and Madison. In February, 1863, Mr. Bean rejoined his 
regiment, at Lake Providence, Louisiana, but the effects of the wound in 
his arm were such that he could not handle a gun, and he was thus 
detailed as clerk of courts martial and the quartermaster's department, 
serving in this capacity for three months, at the expiration of which 
the court was disbanded and he was then detailed to the quartermaster's 
department alone. He was finally made chief clerk under the contriband 
bureau. After serving three months he went with his regiment to 
Vicksburg, but did not take part in the engagement there, and the winter 
was passed in Redbone, Mississippi, whence they returned to Vicksburg in 
the spring, Mr. Bean's company at this time reorganized and Mr. Bean was 
commissioned as second lieutenant in a colored company, with which he 
later took part in the ten days siege before Blakely and the fourteen-
days siege of Mobile. Still later the regiment embarked on a transport 
for Selma, Alabama, and while enroute learned of Lee's surrender. The 
subject was thereafter on provost duty for several months, and the 
command was finally sent to Baton Rouge, where they received honorable 
discharge on the 4th of January, 1866. Before this he had been promoted 
to first lieutenant. Mr. Bean then visited his old home in New 
Hampshire, and shortly afterward went again to Wisconsin. At the time of 
his discharge he was importuned to remain in the south as a member of a 
regiment which there continued in service two years after the close of 
the war, and though he was offered a commission as captain he did not 
deem it expedient to accept the overtures. 

	After his return to Wisconsin Mr. Bean engaged in farming, in 
Dodge county, becoming the owner of a good property, and there he 
remained until May, 1882, when he came to Douglas county, South Dakota, 
taking up a pre-emption claim four miles northeast of the present 
village of Armour, the county seat, where he continued to devote his 
attention to the improvement and cultivation of his farm until the 
autumn of 1890, when he took up his residence in Armour.

	In November of the same year he was elected a member of the state 
senate, serving one term, and in the fall election of 1892 he was chosen 
to represent his district in the lower house of the legislature, in 
which he likewise served one term. He then engaged in the real-estate 
and insurance business in Armour and later also became identified with 
the undertaking business here, having now retired from the two former 
enterprises. He served one year as township treasurer and three years as 
township clerk, while his was the distinction of having been elected the 
first county clerk and register of deeds after the reorganization of the 
county. He was incumbent of the office of justice of the peace for 
several years and since 1895 he has held the office of weighmaster at 
Armour. At the present time he is a member of the board of county 
commissioners. His religious faith is that of the Freewill Baptist 
church, but as there is no organization of this denomination in Armour 
he attends the services of the Baptist church. He is a charter member of 
Arcania Lodge, No. 97, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he was the 
first worshipful master serving three years, and he is an honored member 
of O. P. Morton Post, No. 51, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he is 
now serving for the sixth consecutive year as commander. 

	On the 26th of October, 1864, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Bean to Miss Ellen C. Eastman, of Warner, New Hampshire, who proved to 
him a devoted wife and helpmeet until she was summoned into eternal 
rest, on the 19th of August, 1899. They became the parents of two 
children. Mabel died at the age of twenty-two years, and Jennie, the 
wife of George E. Sanders, of Armour, with whom the subject now makes 
his home.