Early years In 1775, pioneers
Daniel Boone and
William Bean observed the future site of Bean Station from the top of
Clinch Mountain while on a hunting-and-surveying excursion. During the
American Revolutionary War, Bean served as a captain for the
Virginia militia; in 1776, he was awarded over in the German Creek valley, where he had earlier surveyed and camped with Boone. The inn and its surrounding area were variously called Bean's Cabin, Bean's Crossroads, and Bean's Station. Following Bean's death in May 1782, his sons expanded the homestead into a frontier outpost that included the Bean family cabin, a tavern, and a
blacksmith's shop they operated. This heavily trafficked crossroads location made Bean Station an important stopover for early American travelers. Additional taverns and inns were operating at the station by the early 1800s. By 1821, the pathway of Wilderness Road from
Cumberland Gap to Bean Station was established as the privately owned Bean Station Turnpike and received state funding due to its importance for early interstate travel in the
Appalachia region. Throughout the 1800s, Bean Station attracted the attention of merchants and businessmen. In 1825, Thomas Whiteside constructed Bean Station Tavern, a large tavern with a 40-room capacity, wine cellar, and ballroom. The tavern was one of the largest of its time between
New Orleans and
Washington, D.C.; the tavern housed several famous guests, including U.S. Presidents
Andrew Jackson,
Andrew Johnson, and
James K. Polk.
Civil War and late 19th century During the
American Civil War, the
Battle of Bean's Station took place in the westernmost area of the community on December 14, 1863.
Confederate Army General
James Longstreet attempted to capture Bean Station en route to
Rogersville after
failing to drive Union forces out of Knoxville. Bean Station was held by a contingent of
Union Army soldiers under the command of General
James M. Shackelford. After two days of fighting, Union forces were forced to retreat. The resort attracted some of the wealthiest people in America but it declined during the
Great Depression and closed in 1941. As of 2024, the Kingswood orphanage at the site of Tate Springs remains operational. Construction of the railroad, which first operated between Morristown and Bean Station, was completed in 1893. The popularity of Tate Springs resort located in eastern Bean Station peaked between the 1890s and 1920s when the railroad provided passenger rail connections to the site. The railroad ended service in 1928 and the lines were either demolished or washed out following the inundation of the
Holston River by the
Tennessee Valley Authority in 1942. In early 1941, a commission consisting of state planning and TVA personnel hosted town-hall meetings in Bean Station to develop plans for the town to relocate as a
planned village, which was similar to the 1930s planning process for
Norris for the TVA's earlier
Norris Project. Controversy arose following failed negotiations with unwilling property owners for the relocation sites and reluctance from most residents to relocate; the community relocation project was abandoned and most citizens relocated on their own terms. nearly 150 (87.5%) were mandated to move via
eminent domain. Many houses, 20 businesses, and Clinchdale, the estate of Senator John K. Shields, were demolished or moved, and at least one historical structure had to be relocated. During the mid-20th century, Bean Station saw a renewed growth in population and economic progress. The community's access to the road network via US 11W and US 25E facilitated the nationwide
trucking industry, and new
truck stops and motels serving truckers were built. During early planning for the nationwide freeway network that became the
Interstate Highway System, the corridor that became
Interstate 81 (I-81) was planned to follow US 11W between Knoxville and Bristol through Bean Station. Farmers in the town and surrounding area opposed the route through Bean Station, and roadway planners and engineers were also reportedly swooned by officials in Greene and Hamblen counties. These plans were scrapped when it was discovered the lengthy storage period had caused the original tavern materials to deteriorate beyond repair, and in 1964, the community attempted to
incorporate into a city. Residents rejected incorporartion in a referendum by a margin of 153 votes to 94. In the mid-1990s, rumors portions of southern Bean Station may be annexed into Morristown spread throughout the community, leading residents to petition a third incorporation election in 1994. In 1996, the town's residents voted to incorporate Bean Station into a city with a population of 2,171.
Notable incidents On May 13, 1972, 14 people were killed and 15 were injured in a
head-on collision between a double-decker
Greyhound bus and a tractor-trailer on U.S. Route 11W in Bean Station. The collision led to protests and calls for traffic safety and infrastructure improvements, including the widening of 11W and other state highways, and the completion of I-81 in Tennessee to alleviate congestion on 11W. The accident remains the deadliest traffic collision in the history of Tennessee. On May 23, 2013, an armed robbery and hostage-taking occurred at a pharmacy located in downtown Bean Station. The act was committed by an ex-police officer for the town who killed two people in an execution-style shooting and injured two others after robbing the pharmacy for
opioids. The following day, a vigil for the four victims was held at Bean Station town hall with an estimated 300 people in attendance. ==Geography==