Speed, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Speed
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An aerial view of Speed, Indiana, around 1950.
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Clark County's location in Indiana
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 Speed, Indiana
Location in Clark County, Indiana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Clark |
| Township | Silver Creek |
| Elevation | 476 ft (145 m) |
| Time zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| ZIP code |
47172
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| Area code(s) | 812 |
| FIPS code | 18-71810 |
| GNIS feature ID | 443928 |
Speed is a small community located in Clark County, Indiana, United States. It is an unincorporated community, meaning it does not have its own local government like a city or town. Speed was once known by a different name: Fredricksburg.
Contents
History of Speed, Indiana
How Speed Got Its Name
A post office opened in Speed in 1922. It helped people send and receive mail until it closed in 1963. The community was first named Fredricksburg. It was later renamed Speed after James B. Speed, a businessman. He chose this spot to build a large factory that made cement.
Speed as a Company Town
Speed was created as a "company town." This means the cement company owned most of the businesses and homes there. They built houses for their workers and even ran the local store, hotel, and post office. This was part of something called "welfare capitalism." The company wanted its workers to be happy and stay working for them. So, they offered homes, clubs, and other benefits to make life better for their employees.
The Community House
A special building called the Community House was built in 1919. A gymnasium was added to it in 1925. This house was a busy place for everyone in Speed and the nearby community of Sellersburg. People used it for meetings, parties, watching movies, and as a library. It even served as a school and a clinic for babies.
By 1963, the Community House was not used as much, especially in the summer. In 1966, the Louisville Cement Company decided to close it as a community center. They changed the building into a restaurant and a store instead.
Changes to the Community
Around October 1966, Joseph and Lavina Sexton opened the Speed Restaurant in the main part of the building. It had a dining room and private rooms for parties. At the same time, Glenn Johnson moved the Speed Store into the gymnasium area. He had been running the old grocery store nearby since 1951.
The old Speed Store building was torn down around 1967. Today, a parking lot is where the Community House, the old Speed Store, and several homes used to be. The hotel was also torn down, and that space is now a grassy area.
Speed's Cement Mill Legacy
One of the old steam engines, named No. 11, that the cement mill in Speed used is now kept safe at the Kentucky Railway Museum. It still looks the same as it did when it left the factory.
Images for kids
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An aerial view of Speed, Indiana, around 1950.
