Ellen F. Eglin (before 1849 – after 1890) was an African-American inventor who revolutionized the chore of laundry with the invention of the clothes wringer for washing machines and, in the process, made her mark on African Americans and women's history. Personal Little has been recorded about Eglin's early life, which was a common theme among many early Black women inventors. Ellen F. Eglin was born in the state of Maryland in February 1836, according to the 1880 Census.[1] At some time, she and her family moved to Washington, D.C., where Eglin made her living as a housekeeper and a government employee. She is unlisted in 1850 - 1870 census records. Later records show her to have been born in Washington, D.C., in 1849, although some experts disagree, labeling her birth in Maryland in 1836. As a young adult, she worked as a clerk in the local census office and also spent time as a domestic. As a housekeeper, Eglin passed several hours engaged in backbreaking laundry work. The task of scrubbing clothes by hand on a washboard and then wringing out the water afterwards ignited Eglin's desire to improve the laundry process, which sparked the idea of a new invention. Invention In 1888, Eglin invented her groundbreaking device, a special type of clothes-wringer, which was a machine that had two wooden rollers attached to a crank; after being washed and rinsed, wet clothes were fed between these rollers and an immense amount of water was squeezed out. The clothes were then hung to dry, a process which took significantly less time due to the wringer. Although the design was perceived as a popular product well into the 20th century, Eglin received almost no credit or financial success of her own invention. At the time, few innovators could claim the rights to their inventions and Eglin's race further complicated her success. For the April 1890 issue of The Women inventor, a short-lived magazine for highlighting female inventors that was by feminist reformer Charlotte, a reporter asked Eglin why she sold the rights of the invention at such a minimal cost. Eglin stated, "You know I am Black and if it was known that a negro woman patented the invention, white ladies would not buy the wringer. I was afraid to be known because of my color in having it introduced to the market that is the only reason."” Eglin's knowledge