On January 7, 1862, John H. Balsley obtained the first patent in the USA for designing step ladder. He's considered to be the inventor of the first folding wooden step ladder. Step ladders had been known and in use for many years before 1862.

When was the first ladder used?

No one really knows when the ladder was invented. However, the earliest evidence of it is located in Valencia, Spain. The Spider Caves have a Mesolithic rock painting of a ladder that's about 10,000 years old. This painting shows two men using a ladder to access a wild honeybee nest, most likely to get honey.

How long have ladders existed?

It is believed that the idea of a ladder was used over 10,000 years ago. We know this because pictures of them were discovered in a cave in Spain. The ladder is also mentioned in the Bible.