This was the first patent granted to an African American woman. Sarah E. Goodewas born a slave in 1850 and moved to Chicago, Illinois after the American Civil War. An entrepreneur and inventor, Sarah Goode was a furniture store owner from Chicago, IL, who received a U.S. Patent for her Cabinet Bed. In response to the needs of her customers who lived in small apartments, Goode’s invention—a precursor to the modern Murphy bed—could be folded into a functional rolltop desk when the bed wasn’t in use.
This file contains specifications, drawings, amendments, and correspondence for cabinet-beds, which would be folded up to resemble a desk when not in use. The patent was issued to Sarah E. Goode of Chicago, Illinois on July 14, 1885.
