The development of the boot jack is generally credited to George Washington. He is said to have a wooden one at his Mount Vernon estate. However, there are earlier references to devices that were used for removing boots. For example, an English publication from 1690 describes a "boot-jack" as a metal tool with spikes that were used to remove dirt from boots. It is not clear when these devices began to be called "boot jacks." The term did not appear in print in the United States until the early 19th century.