The “BEERS’ PATENT. Naugatuck, Ct.” inscription on this odometer refers to Smith Beers (1805-1860), a Connecticut inventor who patented the form in 1856 (and who had a previous patent on the form in 1839).
“By a recent Bridgeport paper, we notice the death of Smith Beers, of Naugatuck, Conn. Mr. Beers was possessed of a remarkable inventive genius, and had perfected and patented several useful inventions. Among them was an ingenious machine for turning spokes, an odometer, for registering the number of miles run by a carriage, and a machine for pulling cotton stalks, &c. At the time of his last illness, his mind was actively employed in endeavoring to perfect a steam carriage, to be used on highways. Like most true inventors, he was a quiet, unobtrusive, honest man and a useful citizen.” “Death of an Inventor,” Scientific American 3 (1860): 283.
Ref: Smith Beers, “Odometer,” U.S. Patent 15,509 (Aug. 12, 1856).
Smith Beers, “Odometer, Or Machine for Recording the Distance Traveled by Wheel Carriages,” U.S. Patent #1,325 (Sept. 14, 1839).
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.