James Stephens Speed, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJames Stephens Speed
American politician
Date of Birth: 14-Feb-1811
Place of Birth: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Date of Death: 08-Aug-1860
Profession: politician
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About James Stephens Speed
- James Stephens Speed (1811–1860) was the ninth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.
- His father, John Speed, moved to Jefferson County in about 1795 and established a farm on Salt River Rd.
- (which became Dixie Highway), about 9 miles south of Louisville.
- James Speed moved to Louisville in his late teens and within a few years became a partner in a building and railroad contracting firm, Pickett and Speed. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1843, and appointed a United States marshal by president Zachary Taylor in 1849.
- He was served as mayor of Louisville from April 26, 1852 until April 1855.
- The rules governing the office were confusing, and Speed was actually re-elected by popular vote each year of his term, yet never awarded an election certificate.
- Speed argued that his original election meant his term lasted until 1856, but a resolution in 1855 called for a new election that year.
- The election was won by Know-Nothing candidate John Barbee.
- Speed did not run in the election, believing he would remain mayor anyway, but Barbee was recognized as mayor by the city council, overriding Speed's veto.
- Speed appealed but ultimately lost at the Kentucky Supreme Court.The Know-Nothings were inspired by editorials of the Louisville Daily Courier, which opposed Speed for his Catholicism (he was a Catholic convert), a major local controversy of the time (Speed was the first Catholic mayor).
- In 1856 Speed moved to Chicago, where he spent the remainder of his life.
- As mayor, he was chiefly concerned with public works projects, such as the water works and street improvement.
Read more at Wikipedia