Boyd, Henry

Henry Boyd, who was born enslaved in Kentucky, was an inventor, carpenter, and master mechanic. He invented the corded bed - The Boyd Bedstead. His profits from his carpentry work also allowed him to buy his own and his family's freedom.

In 1843 Boyd was among the most successful furniture makers in Cincinnati, OH.

For more see The Mis-education of the Negro, by C. G. Woodson; Created Equal, by J. M. Brodie; C. G. Woodson, "The Negroes of Cincinnati prior to the Civil War," The Journal of Negro History, vol. 1, issue 1 (Jan.
1916), p. 21; and History of the Negro Race in America, 1619-1880 by G. W. Williams.