The Surprising History of Pedometers

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

The following is an adaptation from Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

While conducting research for my book I came across an enlightening article in the June 1877 edition of Appalachia, the journal of the Appalachian Mountain Club. According to the piece, much discussion was given to the pedometer during a previous club meeting. Like today, the pedometer counts the number of steps one takes while walking to calculate the total distance covered during a trip. And like today, the owner of the instrument had to accurately measure their average stride in order to obtain a relatively accurate reading of their mileage. Interestingly, at that time, the cost of a pedometer was $15.00, which is roughly equivalent to the price of a modern version of the same device.

To be honest, I was quite surprised to learn that the pedometer existed at that time. Even more surprising was learning that the device has been around for hundreds of years! As far back as the fifteenth century, artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci sketched plans for an apparatus that could track the distance soldiers walked, and possibly as an aid for improving the accuracy of maps.

Though it’s generally believed that his drawings never materialized into a working prototype, an apparatus that counted steps was invented shortly after his death. In 1525, French physician Jean Fernel created a device that resembled a pocket watch. It had four dials (units, tens, hundreds, and thousands) that were connected by a mechanism that attached to the user’s belt. A cord was then attached to the user’s knee so that it would pull on the device every time a step was taken. Though the precise timing is a little murky, Fernel also created a device that counted the number of revolutions of a carriage wheel. Specifically, he used this to measure the distance and the degree of the arc of the meridian between Paris and Amiens, which ultimately allowed him to calculate the circumference of the earth. It’s not clear if the two devices were developed in conjunction with each other, or one invention preceded the other. Depending on which history you read, his carriage wheel counter was invented in either 1525, 1527 or 1528.

Other devices would follow. In fact, the Germanic National Museum in Nuremberg has a pedometer in its collection from around 1590:

Similar in function to Fernel’s invention, London watchmaker Spencer & Perkins sold a pocket watch style pedometer between 1775 and 1794. In 1777, Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet invented the world’s first automatic winding watch. This timepiece used an oscillating weight within the watch that moved up-and-down while walking. Building upon this technology, he introduced a pedometer three years later:

While in Paris, between 1784 and 1789, Thomas Jefferson commissioned a local watchmaker to craft a custom-made step counter for his personal use. The device was worn in a vest pocket, which was connected by string to a strap worn below the knee. Each time Jefferson took a step, the string would pull a protruding lever arm attached to the gears on the counter, and thus be recorded. In 1788, he sent a replica to James Madison, along with detailed instructions on how to use it. Unfortunately, neither of those devices exists anymore.

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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.