Toleda, Ohia (c 1850 -April 8, 1905) age ~55 yrs

Sara Elizabeth Goode, born Sara Jacob an enslaved woman was an entrepreneur and inventor. She was the first African American woman to be granted a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for inventing a folding cabinet bed in 1885. She received her freedom at the end of the Civil War, moved to Chicago and married Archibald Goode a carpenter. Together, they opened their own furniture store. Many of their customers were mostly working-class. They lived in small apartments and didn’t have much space for furniture, including beds. As a solution, Goode invented the cabinet bed. It also served as a roll-top desk. The desk came equipped with compartments for stationery and other writing supplies.