Changes

| birth_date=c. 1825

| birth_date=c. 1825

| birth_place=Mason County, [[Kentucky]], USA

| birth_place=Mason County, [[Kentucky]], USA

| death_date=March 16, 1903<br> (aged c. 77)

| death_date=March 16, 1903<br> (aged c. 77)

| death_place=Langtry, [[Texas]]

| death_place=Langtry, [[Texas]]

| burial_place=[[Whitehead Memorial Museum]]<br>grounds in Del Rio, Texas

| burial_place=[[Whitehead Memorial Museum]]<br>grounds in Del Rio, Texas

Phantly, Sr., and Anna Henderson Gore Bean}}

Phantly, Sr., and Anna Henderson Gore Bean}}

'''Phantly Roy Bean, Jr.''' (c. 1825 &ndash; March 16, 1903), was a saloon-keeper, justice of the peace, coroner, and notary public known as the "Law West of the Pecos" River in Langtry in Val Verde County in southwestern [[Texas]].

'''Phantly Roy Bean Jr.''' (c. 1825 &ndash; March 16, 1903), was a saloon-keeper, justice of the peace, coroner, and notary public known as the "Law West of the Pecos" River in Langtry in Val Verde County in southwestern [[Texas]].

Legend holds that Bean held court in his saloon along the [[Rio Grande]] on a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas. After his death, Western films and books cast him as a "hanging judge," but he sentenced only two men to hang, one of whom escaped.<ref name=beandies/>

Legend holds that Bean held court in his saloon along the [[Rio Grande]] on a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas. After his death, Western films and books cast him as a "hanging judge," but he sentenced only two men to hang, one of whom escaped.<ref name=beandies/>

Bean was born c. 1825 in Mason County in northern [[Kentucky]], the youngest of five children of Phantly Bean, Sr. (1804-1844) and the former Anna Henderson Gore. The Beans were particularly poor and at age sixteen Bean left home and took a flatboat to [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]. After getting into trouble, he fled to [[San Antonio]], Texas.<ref>Paula Allen (March 29, 2013), ''History: Scoundrel Bean, Bride wed in San Fernando Cathedral," ''San Antonio Express-News'', accessed January 17, 2018.</ref> He hauled freight to [[Santa Fe]], [[New Mexico]] (then New Mexico Territory) and on to [[Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]]. In 1848, ,the two fled  to Sonora, Mexico. By the spring of 1849, Roy Bean had moved to [[San Diego]], [[California]], to live with his brother, Joshua Bean (c. 1818-1852), who was elected in 1850 as the first [[mayor]] of San Diego.<ref>Dan L.Thrapp, "Roy Bean," ''The Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography,''(Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press), p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8032-9418-9..</ref> In 1848, the two fled west to Sonora, Mexico.

Bean was born c. 1825 in Mason County in northern [[Kentucky]], the youngest of five children of Phantly Bean Sr. (1804–1844) and the former Anna Henderson Gore. The Beans were particularly poor and at age sixteen Bean left home and took a flatboat to [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]. After getting into trouble, he fled to [[San Antonio]], Texas.<ref>Paula Allen (March 29, 2013), ''History: Scoundrel Bean, Bride wed in San Fernando Cathedral," ''San Antonio Express-News'', accessed January 17, 2018.</ref> He hauled freight to [[Santa Fe]], [[New Mexico]] (then New Mexico Territory) and on to [[Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]]. In 1848, the two fled  to Sonora, Mexico. By the spring of 1849, Roy Bean had moved to [[San Diego]], [[California]], to live with his brother, Joshua Bean (c. 1818–1852), who was elected in 1850 as the first [[mayor]] of San Diego.<ref>Dan L.Thrapp, "Roy Bean," ''The Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography,''(Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press), p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8032-9418-9..</ref> In 1848, the two fled west to Sonora, Mexico.

After his time in California, Bean was for some sixteen years a prosperous [[business]]man living in [[San Antonio]], Texas. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built the Jersey Lilly saloon in his community of Langtry. Though he never met the theater actress Emilie Charlotte "Lillie" Langtry (1853-1929), he developed a fascination with her and closely followed her career.<ref name=beandies>[Judge Roy Bean dies - HISTORY]</ref>

After his time in California, Bean was for some sixteen years a prosperous [[business]]man living in [[San Antonio]], Texas. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built the Jersey Lilly saloon in his community of Langtry. Though he never met the theater actress Emilie Charlotte "Lillie" Langtry (1853–1929), he developed a fascination with her and closely followed her career.<ref name=beandies>[Judge Roy Bean dies - HISTORY]</ref>

The community is not named for Lillie but for George Langtry, an engineer and foreman building the railroad in the Southwest, in which capacity he supervised immigrant [[China|Chinese]] work crews.  

The community is not named for Lillie but for George Langtry, an engineer and foreman building the railroad in the Southwest, in which capacity he supervised immigrant [[China|Chinese]] work crews.  

Before he founded Langtry, Bean procured appointment as as justice of the peace and notary public. Though he knew little about the law, area residents mostly accepted his common-sense verdicts in the sparsely populated country of West Texas. Often humorous or bizarre in his ruling, Judge Bean once fined a dead man $40 (the amount found on the body) for carrying a concealed weapon. He threatened an [[attorney]] with hanging for using profanity when he merely mentioned [[habeas corpus]]. As the century ended, Bean acqired a national reputation because of his curmudgeonly rulings. Railroad travelers made a point of stopping to visit the old saloon, where a sign named Bean as the “Law West of the Pecos.”<ref name=beandies/>

Before he founded Langtry, Bean procured appointment as justice of the peace and notary public. Though he knew little about the law, area residents mostly accepted his common-sense verdicts in the sparsely populated country of West Texas. Often humorous or bizarre in his ruling, Judge Bean once fined a dead man $40 (the amount found on the body) for carrying a concealed weapon. He threatened an [[attorney]] with hanging for using profanity when he merely mentioned [[habeas corpus]]. As the century ended, Bean acquired a national reputation because of his curmudgeonly rulings. Railroad travelers made a point of stopping to visit the old saloon, where a sign named Bean as the “Law West of the Pecos.”<ref name=beandies/>

Bean fell ill during a visit to San Antonio, returned to Langtry, and died at the age of c. seventy-seven. He is interred by his younger son, Sam (1874-1907), on the grounds of the [[Whitehead Memorial Museum]], which opened in 1962 in Del Rio, the seat of government for Val Verde County. Sam Bean, also a saloon-keeper, was stabbed to death in Del Rio by a man with whom he had feuded.<ref>[Sam Bean (1874-1907) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed March 17, 2021.]</ref>

Bean fell ill during a visit to San Antonio, returned to Langtry, and died at the age of c. seventy-seven. He is interred by his younger son, Sam (1874–1907), on the grounds of the [[Whitehead Memorial Museum]], which opened in 1962 in Del Rio, the seat of government for Val Verde County. Sam Bean, also a saloon-keeper, was stabbed to death in Del Rio by a man with whom he had feuded.<ref>[Sam Bean (1874-1907) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed March 17, 2021.]</ref>

Ten months after Bean's death, Lillie made a clebrated visit to Langtry.<ref name=beandies/>  

Ten months after Bean's death, Lillie made a clebrated visit to Langtry.<ref name=beandies/>  

Bean is the subject of the syndicated [[television]] series, ''[[Judge Roy Bean (TV series)|Judge Roy Bean]],'' with Edgar Buchanan (1903-1979) in the starring role. The single-season series aired from 1955 to 1956.<ref>Judge Roy Bean (TV Series 1955– ) - IMDb, accessed March 16, 2021.</ref> In 1972, Paul Newman played Bean in the film, ''The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean.''<ref>The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean - Bing</ref>

Bean is the subject of the syndicated [[television]] series, ''[[Judge Roy Bean (TV series)|Judge Roy Bean]],'' with Edgar Buchanan (1903–1979) in the starring role. The single-season series aired from 1955 to 1956.<ref>Judge Roy Bean (TV Series 1955– ) - IMDb, accessed March 16, 2021.</ref> In 1972, Paul Newman played Bean in the film, ''The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean.''<ref>The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean - Bing</ref>

A Texas tourist bureau station is located in front of the Jersey Lillie in Langry. Some forty thousand visit the site each year.  

A Texas tourist bureau station is located in front of the Jersey Lillie in Langry. Some forty thousand visit the site each year.