Sarah E. Goode Becomes First Black Woman to Receive U.S. Patent

Sarah E. Goode, a furniture store owner in Chicago, received U.S. Patent No. 322,177 on July 14, 1885 for her invention of a folding cabinet bed — an early version of the Murphy bed designed to save space in small urban homes. She became the first Black woman in U.S. history to receive a patent. Her invention reflected both entrepreneurial ingenuity and the practical needs of working-class urban residents.