Joshua Fry Speed | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Speed as a young man | |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
| In office 1848–1850 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 14, 1814 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | May 29, 1882 (aged 67) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Resting place | Cave Hill Cemetery Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Fanny Henning (m. 1842) |
| Parent |
|
| Occupation | General store co-owner, real estate investor, plantation owner (through family), Kentucky representative |
| Known for | Abraham Lincoln's best friend and a close confidant |
Joshua Fry Speed (November 14, 1814 – May 29, 1882) was an American planter and businessman. He was a close friend of future President Abraham Lincoln from his days in Springfield, Illinois, where Speed was a partner in a general store. He first met Lincoln in 1837. Later, Speed was a farmer and a real estate investor in Kentucky, and also served one term in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1848.[1]
- ^ Collins & Collins 1874, p. 374.