Joshua Speed

Joshua Fry Speed (1814–1882) was an American merchant best known as a close friend and confidant of Abraham Lincoln. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he co-owned a general store and shared lodgings with Lincoln in the 1830s, a relationship that became one of Lincoln’s most intimate friendships. Speed later returned to Kentucky, married Fanny Henning, and managed family business interests. During the Civil War era he maintained contact with Lincoln and visited him in Washington, offering a trusted personal perspective amid political strain. Speed’s recollections have been frequently cited by Lincoln biographers.