Edward V. Hartford

Edward was born in Orange, New Jersey. His father, George Huntington Hartford (1832–1917) owned the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. When Edward was eight, his father was also elected Mayor of his community. He graduated from Orange High School and entered Stevens Institute of Technology. After graduating, he turned down his father's offer to join the firm and traveled for a few years in France and India.

Edward was fascinated by early automobiles, which were simply traditional wagons or carriages with primitive engines. While the springs were adequate at the lower speeds of horse drawn vehicles, they proved dangerous at higher speeds because they continued to bounce after hitting an uneven surface, potentially causing the vehicle to veer out of control. Early bicycles had a similar problem.

In 1899, Edward was in France at a bicycle race where the winning bicycle was equipped with a early shock absorber built by J. Truffault. Hartford bought the rights to the device and perfected its design. Read Less