William Warren Bean was a prolific sleigh manufacturer from the area and it seems like everyone has one of his sleighs in their barn or even on their porch. They were big award winners at local fairs in the late 1800s and here’s a letter to the editor proclaiming their usefulness from 1902.

 

They were used by the liveries of both Bethel and Randolph and were sold to people you have probably heard of such as Albert Chandler, Robert Kimball, and William DuBois.  Bean also did repairs, billing the town of Randolph for hearse repairs in 1903.

 

The factory was in operation for nearly 50 years, here’s a bit more backstory on it. Situated in West Randolph because of the availability of water power and a dam behind it, it employed a large number of people from blacksmiths to painters to lumber millers. That location was called Pleasant Valley but after the factory’s popularity, it was renamed Beanville.

 

More information about the man himself can be seen in the obituary linked from his Find A Grave page.