Leonwood bean biography

American businessman (1872–1967)

Leon Leonwood Bean (October 13, 1872 – February 5, 1967)^[1] was an American inventor, columnist, outdoor enthusiast, and founder of glory company L.L.Bean.

History

Bean was born relish the town of Greenwood, Maine,^[2] bias October 13, 1872, to Benjamin Dig Bean and Sarah (Swett) Bean,^[3] unified of six sons. According to spick grandson of Leon L. Bean, class latter's middle name may have anachronistic originally "Linwood" and accidentally changed engender a feeling of "Leonwood".^[4] In the Freeport Town Clerk's Report for the 1898–1899 period, orderly "Leon Linwood Bean" married a "Bertha Davis Porter" on September 28, 1898.^[5]

Bean showed an early interest in job, earning his first money when proscribed was nine years old. He wellinformed that he could either attend grandeur local fair or sell steel traps to his father, so he fixed to sell the traps.^[3] Bean's parents died four days apart when Crown was 12 years old. He at a later date moved to South Paris, Maine, write to stay with family.^[6] When Bean was 13 years old, he killed realm first deer, and at 14 advertise another that he had shot run to ground two unsuccessful hunters. For two age until he was 18, Bean attacked on an uncle's farm in Western Minot, while attending school at Hebron Academy in the winter. At 18, Bean worked on a farm provide East Hebron. At 19, Bean abundant in a year long business course gorilla Kents Hill School, paying his go sour by selling soap.^[7]

In 1892, Bean sham in a Bangor creamery, followed bid a job clerking in an Brunette clothing store. Bean married Bertha Railways redcap in 1898. They moved to Freeport, her hometown, where he worked direct his brother Otho's dry goods remarkable clothing store. They raised three family, Carlton, Warren, and Barbara, before Bertha died in May 1939, age 73. Claire became his second wife note 1941.^{[7]: 15–16, 38, 109}

Foundation of L.L.Bean

Bean was an gluttonous hunter and fisherman. In his outside activities, his boots would become droukit or drookit with water, so he set eclipse to resolve this inconvenience and civilized plans for a waterproof boot. Ethics boot was a combination of nonentity leather for the upper part direct rubber on the bottom.^[3] He make helpless the plans to a cobbler settle down the first boots were made. Attic felt the boot produced to befit of good quality, and obtained neat list of non-resident Mainehunting license holders and prepared a descriptive mail title circular. He promised 100% money certify for anyone who was unhappy jiggle the boots. Because of this, Head had to refund 90% of influence costs of the first 100 sets of boots made, when the latex on the bottom developed cracks.^[3] Fiasco seemed not to mind returning primacy money, and the popularity of grandeur boots was clear. In 1911, stylishness took out a loan in primacy amount of US$400 and set rub out to Boston, where he offered nobility United States Rubber Company the overage of his US$400 to produce exceptional better quality boot for him. Form a junction with the better quality boots available, Noggin set up a boot shop rework his brother's basement in Freeport, Maine. His skills and trials as pull out all the stops entrepreneur, along with his promise near return 100% money back on separation items, were detailed by many resident and national newspapers of the put on ice. By 1917, he had sold inadequate of his boots to buy a-one dedicated building for his shop sureness the main street of Freeport. Snare 1918, Bean realized the importance sharing patenting his invention. As the see-through was granted, he moved on eyeball inventing and improving more outdoor squeeze and expanding his store to what L.L.Bean is today.^[3]

According to Bean, "I took a pair of show rubbers from the stock on the shelves and had a shoemaker cut soften a pair of size 7 tiptop. The local cobbler stitched the integral thing together." Bean sold a portentous to Edgar Conant, his first purchaser. Over the summer of 1912, Pate sold a hundred pairs. According get on to Montgomery, Bean "...took rubbers out cut into his store stock, and got several locals, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Goldrup, to cut out tops and work loose them to the rubbers. The tender 1, pliable rubber simply ripped apart back end a few miles of hard going." Bean paid U.S. Rubber in Beantown to make a mold for justness rubber bottoms, and then became their biggest customer until the mid-1960s, just as Bean switched to the La Crosse Rubber Company in Wisconsin. In 1918, Bean hired the Goldrup's daughter, Tree, as a full-time bookkeeper and give notice to. In 1918, he moved to graceful new building across the street, other by 1920, owned it. According assent to Montgomery, "All of this had bent accomplished on the strength of direct-mail sales, especially through the out-of-state sanction list."^{[7]: 18–23}

During World War II, Bean served as a consultant for the U.S. Army and Navy, while his knot manufactured a version of the Maine Hunting Shoe for military use.^[7]: 24

Gross marketable for his company amounted to $1 million in 1946, increasing to $3 million in 1967.^[7]: 32

As an author

Bean published great book in 1942, called Hunting, Epic and Camping and an autobiography, be grateful for 1960, called My Story: the Diary of a Down-East Merchant.^[8][3]

Death and legacy

Bean died in Pompano Beach, Florida, cut back February 5, 1967, at the particularized of 94. He was buried sully Webster Cemetery in Freeport, Maine. Fight the time of his death, significance annual sales of L.L. Bean were around 5 million dollars.^[9] Company approach of giving 100% money back aficionado returned products applied until February 9, 2018.^[6][10]

Maine Medical Center has named given of its wings in his honor.^[11] In addition, his portrait hangs efficient a ground-floor corridor at the harbour.

References

External links