Edward V. Hartford

Edward Vassallo Hartford (May 28, 1870 - June 30, 1922) was the founder and President of the Hartford Suspension Company who perfected the automobile shock absorber. The middle son of A&P owner George Huntington Hartford and Marie Josephine Ludlum, Edward was the only son not involved in day-to-day operations of the food chain. However, starting in 1903, he was Secretary of the A&P corporation and along with his brothers George and John, was also one of the three trustees who controlled the company's stock after his father's death. Biography 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 an early shock absorber built by J. Truffault. Hartford bought the rights to the device and perfected its design. In 1904, he established the Hartford Suspension Company and located the firm on Hudson Street in New York City. That year, a car built by Richard-Brasier equipped with Truffault-Hartford shock absorbers won the Gordon Bennett Cup (auto racing) in Germany, helping to establish a reputation for the new device. In 1908, the factory was moved to Jersey City, New Jersey next to the A&P headquarters. Edward continued to develop new features for automobiles. In 1910, he received a patent for an electric starter and the next year for an electric brake.