Geomagnetic records from 1868 through 1975 indicate that geomagnetic activity during 1973--1975 was unusually enhanced for that phase of the sunspot cycle (5--7 years after solar maximum). Previous work indicates that long-term variations in geomagnetic activity are closely coupled to long-term variations in the bulk flow speed of the solar wind. Thus we infer that reported averages of the solar wind speed for the 1973--1975 era are unusually large for that phase of the sunspot cycle.