A.E. “Bean” Backus was a sickly child born in Fort Pierce in 1906. He had natural talent and began painting portraits by the age of six. Many business in town commissioned his work while he was still a young man. His beautiful landscapes were sought after and still hang in many government buildings as well as in private collections. For a time Bean shared a studio with artist and author Don Blanding. After selling his studio on Moore’s Creek to the city, “Bean” worked with and inspired other local artists at his “new” studio. This “new” studio was an old home built by Dr. Platts in 1896, located on the corner of second and Avenue C.