Mary Kies receives the first US patent granted to a woman

Background. Mary Kies received a patent for a technique of weaving straw with silk and thread to make hats. The invention was especially timely because the United States was attempting to maintain neutrality and had stopped importing European goods. During this period, the straw-weaving industry filled the gap, with over $500,000 ($4.7 million in today's money) worth of straw bonnets produced in Massachusetts alone in 1810.

Historical Debate. Sources disagree on whether Mary Kies was the first woman to receive a US patent. Some sources cite her as the first, while others identify Hannah Slater in 1793 or Hazel Irwin, who received a patent for a cheese press in 1808, as earlier recipients. The National Inventors Hall of Fame specifically praises her for being the first woman to apply for and receive a patent in her own name.

Legacy. Mary Kies is honored in Old South Killingly cemetery with a headstone recognizing her as the first woman in the United States to apply for and receive a patent. The National Inventors Hall of Fame also praises her process for weaving straw with silk or thread.