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61 JULY 2016 www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS Now Available! Adapters for Loading Trikes 2 Yr. Ltd. Warranty A Division of Prototools Corp. info@rampagelifts.com 925.405.0365 www.rampagelift.com Handles the Largest Motorcycles with Ease Fast and Simple - One Person Operation Fits almost any truck or RV Easy Installation and Removal The Fast, Easy & Safe Way to Load your Bike The Fast, Easy & Safe Way to Load your Bike actively lobbied Congress to support the Good Roads Movement. In March 1897 a legal notice was published in The Wheel: "The Hendee & Nelson Mfg. Co., 478 Main St, Springfi eld, Mass. will hereafter be known as E. H. Nelson & Co. Mr. Hendee will devote more of his time to the factory on Taylor Street." On August 18, an attachment was levied by the court and all of the company's assets were seized: the following month Hendee & Nelson Mfg. fi led for insolvency. Like so many other bicycle companies, it failed because the market was glutted with over-pro- duced inventory and cutthroat com- petition had slashed retail prices to the bone. However, George Hendee had an extensive family, business and industry network. He acquired the tools and inventory of his former company at auction, raised $5,000, and incor- porated the Hendee Manufacturing Company in January 1898. His new line of bicycles was called Indian. Using parts imported from England and retailing his product at less than half the price of his competi- tors, George Hendee was selling 4,000 bicycles a year. However, the bicycle industry was in serious trouble. Albert Pope had managed to consolidate 73 different manufacturers into a trust called the American Bicycle Company, while numerous others—including Worcester Cycle Mfg.—declared bankruptcy or were forced to reorga- nize. Charles Metz's Waltham Mfg, (Orient bicycles) became the exclusive American agency for the Aster motor in March 1900, the Orient Autogo tri- cycle—that with a fore-car attachment converted into the Autogo Quad—came out in April, the Victoriette Phaeton automobile was introduced in August, and the Orient Autogo cycle became available for sale by October. E.R. Thomas introduced their Auto-Bi motor cycle in 1900; so did the Marsh broth- ers, George Holley, and W. E. Steffey. The Cleveland Motor Tricycle came out in September and Keating's motor bicycle was road tested by the press in December. In Springfi eld, where the Duryea brothers had established the fi rst automobile factory in America in 1895, the Knox Automobile was offer- ing their three-wheel carriage for sale, and the Hampden Mfg Co. was produc- ing motors for bicycles. Hendee was an astute businessman and no doubt aware of whom was doing what and where the industry was headed. 4 Indian Continued from page 46