Craven County, North Carolina (c 1832 -1904) age ~71 yrs

Sarah Boone, born Sarah Marshall, daughter of enslaved parents was a dressmaker who invented the modern-day ironing board. Boone married James Boone, a free African American in 1847. Using a network tied to the Underground railroad, Boon migrated with her husband, children and mother to New Haven, Connecticut. Boone learned to write in her forties. Afterward, she applied for a patent for her narrow, padded curved wooden board. This board can collapse for easy storage. She wrote in her patent application. The purpose of her invention was “to produce a cheap, simple, convenient, and highly effective device.” It was particularly adapted to be used in ironing the sleeves and bodies of ladies garments. Her patent was approved in 1892, making Boone one of the first African American women to be awarded a patent.