George M. Hendee

George Mallory Hendee ( born October 22, 1866 in Watertown, Connecticut, † 1943 in Suffield, Connecticut) was an American cycling pioneer and co-founder of the Indian Motocycle Company.

At age 16, in 1882, drove George Hendee his first bicycle race, still on the unicycle, and has been for four consecutive years U.S. Amateur champion over various distances. In 1886 he presented with two minutes and 27.4 seconds to set a world record on the half-mile, which remained valid for six years. 1886 Hendee was professional. 1895, in his last active year, he won the Penny Farthing World Cup, which was held in Springfield, Massachusetts, for several runs in two days. In all, he won 309 races. During his playing days he was engaged as a functionary in various cycling associations.

Opened in 1897 Hendee a production of safety bicycles. 1901 Hendee became aware of Oscar Hedstrom. Hendee and Hedstrom as a donor as a designer founded the Indian motorcycle manufacturer in the same year. 1902, the company started as a first in the U.S. with the mass production of petrol-driven motorcycles. 1913-1917 was " Hendee Manufacturing" the world's largest producer of motorcycles in 1913, they established 32 000 pieces. The work lasted until 1953, under the name "Indian " motorcycles are new thing restored.

1916 was George Hendee retired and moved to the " Hilltop Farm" in Suffield, Connecticut, where he bred among others Guernsey cattle and established a model for poultry Leghorn chickens. The farm became a major producer of dairy and poultry products.

1998 was included George Hendee in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and in 2010 into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.