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Marginalized Inventors

who made our lives better

by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor

Alexander Miles Sara Boone (1832 - Benjamin
(May 18, 1838 - Oct. 29, 1904), an Montgomery
May 7, 1918), the improved ironing (1819 - May 12,
Automatic Elevator board. Sarah Boone 1877), the Boyd
Doors. Miles was an was awarded a patent Bedstead. Born into
American inventor for inventing a mod- slavery, Montgom-
and businessman ern ironing board. ery served as a
who was awarded Boone was born companion to his
U.S. Patent 371,207 Sarah Marshall near owner’s son. In 1836
on October 11, New Bern, North Montgomery was
1887. Before the Carolina. The daug- sold to Joseph E.
creation of elevator doors that close automati- hter of enslaved parents, she earned her Davis, brother of future Confederate president
cally, riding a lift was both complicated and freedom thanks to her 1847 marriage to James Jefferson Davis. Montgomery invented a shal-
risky. People manually shut both the shaft and Boone, a free African American. Utilizing a low water steamboat propeller. Davis attempted
elevator doors before riding. Forgetting to do network tied to the Underground Railroad, to patent it in Montgomery’s name, but U.S.
so led to multiple accidents as people fell Boone, her husband, eight children, and law did not allow a slave to hold a patent at that
down elevator shafts. As the story goes, when widowed mother migrated to New Haven, time. Even without patent protection, Mont-
the daughter of African American inventor CT, before the Civil War. Working as a seam- gomery amassed significant wealth and became
Alexander Miles almost fatally fell down the stress meant ironing clothes on a wooden plank one of the wealthiest planters in Mississippi after
shaft, he took it upon himself to develop a placed across two chairs; fine for a wide skirt but the Civil War ended. Boyd also created a corded
solution. In 1887 he took out a patent for ill-suited for the contours of tight, fitted materi- bed created with wooden rails connecting the
a mechanism that automatically opens and al. Boone created a smaller, curved board that headboard and footboard. Historian Carter G.
closes elevator shaft doors and his designs are could slip into sleeves and allow for a Woodson noted Boyd’s business employed 25
largely reflected in elevators used today. garment to be shifted without getting wrinkled. black and white employees in his shop.

Lewis Howard Richard Bowie Madam C. J.
Latimer (Sept. 4, Spikes (Oct. 2, Walker (Dec. 23,
1848 - Dec. 11, 1878 - Jan. 22, 1967 - May 25,
1928), Air Con- 1963) was a prolific 1919) invented a
ditioning. Lewis inventor of prod- line of African
Howard Latimer ucts primarily for American hair
was born to parents the automobile products. Madam
who had fled slavery. industry. He held Walker invented a
Latimer learned the many United States line of African
art of mechanical patents, and his American hair prod-
drawing while working at a patent firm. Over inventions (or mechanical improvements on ucts after suffering from a scalp ailment that
the course of his career as a draftsman, existing inventions) include a beer tap, auto- resulted in her own hair loss. She promoted her
Latimer worked closely with Thomas Edison mobile directional signals, the automatic gear products by traveling around the country giving
and Alexander Graham Bell. shift device based on automatic transmission lecture-demonstrations, eventually establishing
In 1864, at the age of 16, Latimer lied for automobiles, and other motor vehicles and Madame C.J. Walker Laboratories to manufac-
about his age to enlist in the United States a safety braking system for trucks and buses. ture cosmetics and train sales beauticians.
Navy during the Civil War. Returning to Spikes also sought to improve the operation of Her skills led her to become one of the first
Boston with an honorable discharge, he items as varied as barber chairs and trolley cars. American women to be a self-made millionaire.
accepted a menial position at the Crosby and Spikes was born to Monroe and Medora Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on
Gould patent law office. He taught himself Spikes on October 2, 1878, with six other December 23, 1867, on a cotton plantation in
mechanical drawing and drafting. Recognizing siblings. The 1880 census lists his birthplace as Louisiana. Her parents were enslaved and
Latimer’s talent, the firm promoted him to Texas, though in later years Spikes stated the recently freed, and Sarah, their fifth child, was
draftsman. In addition to assisting others, location as actually being in Indian Territory the first to be free-born. Her parents passed in
Latimer designed a number of his own (later the state of Oklahoma). By the time he 1874 and 75, leaving Sarah an orphan at the age
inventions, including an improved railroad was creating the automatic safety brake in 1962, of seven. Sarah went to live with her sister,
car bathroom and an early air conditioning Spikes eyesight began to fade due to glaucoma, Louvinia, and her abusive brother-in-law. At
unit. Latimer’s deep knowledge of patents so in order to complete the device, he first 14, she married Moses McWilliams, who died
and electrical engineering made him an created a drafting machine for blind designers – two years later, and gave birth to a daughter. She
indispensable partner to Edison as he promoted by the time his braking device was completed, attended public night school. While in St.
and defended his light bulb design. he was deemed legally blind. The device was Louis, Sarah met husband Charles J. Walker,
found in almost every school bus in the nation. who later helped promote her hair care business.

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