Joshua H. Bean (c. 1818 – November 7, 1852) was an American political figure. Joshua Bean was born c. 1818 in

Mason County, Kentucky Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,120. Its county seat is Maysville. The county was created from Bourbon County, Virginia in 1788 and named for George Mason, a Vir ...

, to Phantly Roy Bean and his wife Anna Gore. His paternal grandparents were Benjamin Bean and his wife Fernetta Johnston, daughter of Archibald Johnston. Both grandparents were born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Bean had a brother Roy, named for their father. He later achieved notability as a judge on the New Mexico frontier, known as Judge Roy Bean. Joshua Bean served with

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

and went to California in 1849. He settled in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

in 1850, where he was a trader and saloon owner. Bean was soon appointed Major General of the State Militia. He led forces to crush the Antonio Garra revolt in 1851. Later he had a small role in preventing the massacre of John Edward Irvine near

Redlands, California Redlands ( ) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 73,168, up from 68,747 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The city is located a ...

. San Diego was incorporated by the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

in 1850. Bean, the last

alcalde ''Alcalde'' (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and Administration (government), administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor (position), corregidor, the presiding officer o ...

of San Diego, was elected mayor in the first election under the charter on June 16. Bean was the first mayor of San Diego and served from 1850 until 1851. While mayor, he illegally "sold" City Hall and city pueblo lands to himself and his drinking buddy Lieutenant Cave J. Couts (the City Hall was recovered). In 1851 he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, where he kept a saloon and store in Mission San Gabriel, which he called the Headquarters. In 1852 he was ambushed and killed, just outside Mission San Gabriel, during an argument over a woman. Four males were accused of his murder, and were executed. But, officials learned later that the son of Victoria Reid was responsible for Bean's death. Reyes Feliz, a Hispanic youth, was one of those charged in the murder of Bean. He had given evidence that he had overheard men saying that the killer was the California Bandito Joaquin Murieta. Bean's brother Roy took over the saloon, and operated it until 1853. He fled California for New Mexico after being indicted for being involved in a knife fight. There he was appointed as a judge and became known as Judge Roy Bean, notable on the frontier.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bean, Joshua Mayors of San Diego 1810s births 1852 deaths People from Mason County, Kentucky 19th-century mayors of places in California