Bean was born January 26, 1827, in Milton in Chittenden County, Vermont, and had a public school education.
He returned to Vermont for about a year, then moved to Wisconsin in 1856, spending some time in Omro before settling at Waukau and beginning the construction of a flour mill there in which he had a half-interest.
In 1867, Bean and his wife sold land for the building of Waukau Methodist Episcopal Church next door to their home.
[2] Bean's 1880 official biography reports that he "held various local offices" (he was chairman of the town board in Waukau for at least two years).
He was elected to the Assembly again in 1880, this time as a Greenback, receiving 510 votes against 451 for Republican former State Representative Alson Wood and 249 for Democrat John De Foe (Greenback incumbent Milan Ford was not a candidate for re-election).