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Author Biography
Steven R. Barnett is Executive Director at the Irvington Historical Society.
Steve Barnett was raised in Irvington. Steve attended School #57, Howe High School (’63), and received a degree from Purdue University (’70). He served in the Indiana National Guard. After a brief hiatus from Irvington, Steve returned to his home town in 1977 with his wife Sue so their three children could grow up in a family friendly environment.
Steve had the good fortune of working with U. S. Representative Andy Jacobs, Jr. and U. S. Representative Julia Carson in the Indianapolis Congressional District Office helping constituents.
After his retirement, Steve became the executive director of the Irvington Historical Society and curator of the Bona Thompson Memorial Center until 2025. Steve was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by Gov. Wallace G. Wilkinson for service to veterans, and he was appointed a Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Joseph Kernan for service to Indiana. In 2016, Steve was named Marion County Historian.
Steven R. Barnett’s Story Archive
100 Years Ago: March 6-12
From The Indianapolis Star, Friday, March 12, 1926: Construction has started on a mammoth grain elevator with a capacity of 1,000,000 bushels on the Big Four Railroad west of Sloan Av, near Beech Grove. The grain terminal will be one of the largest in the Midwest with eighteen giant concrete … Read More
An Old Landmark
An old Irvington landmark is gone. On the cold snowy evening of Sunday, January 18, 2026, a fire, probably started by squatters, swept through the vacant commercial building at 5235-39 E. Washington St. By the time firefighters from Station House 25 arrived on the scene, dense smoke and flames were … Read More
100 Years Ago: Feb. 27-March 5
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, March 3, 1926: The rise of steel-reinforced concrete abutments and pillars at East Tenth St and the Belt Railroad as part of the city’s railroad elevation program will soon open East Tenth St. into Sherman Dr. and on east without the hazard of a grade … Read More
100 Years Ago: Feb. 20-26
From The Indianapolis Times, Thursday, February 25, 1926: The inaugural game at the new sport emporium at the State Fairground Exposition Building tomorrow night will feature a basketball clash between the Butler Bulldogs and the Wabash Little Giants. Built for the local high school sectional tournament and state high school … Read More
100 Years Ago: Feb. 13-19
From The Indianapolis Star, Friday, February 19, 1926: At a dinner held last night under the auspices of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, 500 businessmen and women enthusiastically endorsed ad man Homer McKee’s plan for a Million Population Club, an all-embracing effort of citizens to push the city forward. In … Read More