Tillie Anderson
Matilda " Tillie " Anderson ( born April 23, 1875 in Skåne, Sweden, † 1965) was an American cyclist.
Tillie Anderson was the fourth of five children of the family. When she was eight years old, her father died and she had hired himself to the farmers in the neighborhood, in order to contribute to the family income. Even then, her strong will and her stamina was. In 1891 she emigrated with her brother August in the United States; and they went to her oldest sister Hanna to Chicago, who was staying there already. The following year, the rest of the family followed.
Anderson found work with a tailor, and within two years she saved the money for a bicycle together. In 1895 she took on her first bike race of Elgin in part to Aurora, she immediately won in record time. Later, she traveled across the country to start at six-day race for women, in which the riders drove in six days, two hours each day. The League of American Wheelmen (LAW) referred to them as " best cyclist in the world", but she had the nickname " The Terrible Swede ". She kept records of all distances from sprint to endurance routes. 1902 Tillie Anderson was forced to end her cycling career, as the participation of women in cycling was banned for alleged dangerousness of the League.
Tillie Anderson remained until her death in 1965, active in the LAW and other cycling organizations and was supported in its activities by her husband Philip. Among her friends were the Frauenrechtlerinnnen Susan B. Anthony and Amelia Bloomer. After they had to stop the cycling, it was at the beginning of the 20th century one of the first women who articulated a car. In 2000 she was honored posthumously by the inclusion in the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.