Weekly View » Steven R. Barnett

100 Years Ago: Oct. 2-8

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:08:59 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, October 2, 1926: The Indianapolis Airport will be established at once on 234 acres of level ground in Mars Hill that has been leased by the Indianapolis Airport Corp. The tract selected is a half-mile square, bounded on the east by Holt Rd, on the north by Minnesota St, on the south by Raymond St, and on the west by the Drexel Gardens Addition. The site is accessible to the city by streetcar and a spur from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Kentucky Av will provide bus and truck access. Today’s announcement completes the work done over several months by members of the Chamber of Commerce to give Indianapolis an airport worthy of the name and worthy of the city it will serve. The 113th Observation Squadron of the Indiana National Guard will supervise the airport’s operation.

Treading the Boards

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:09:46 +0000

From Broadway to Hollywood and into living rooms via radio and television, performers from Indianapolis have entertained audiences for generations. Locally, theatergoers have enjoyed live stage productions for over a century with talented actors bringing the house to tears or roaring laughter. Among these Indianapolis performers for over three decades was George Willeford, one of the city’s most accomplished actors who hit his mark in over eighty-five major plays and in numerous other productions.
George William Willeford was born in Indianapolis on November 27, 1920, to William W. Willeford and Marie Sophie Schmidt Willeford. His father was a receiving clerk for G & J Tire Co. and the family lived on the east side of the city at 248 Dorman St., across from Highland Park, later moving to 57 Brookville Ave. (N. Ewing St) near Sherman Dr.
Willeford attended Minnie Hartman School No. 78, 436 N. Sherman Dr. and learned to play the violin from Charles Bromley, director and instructor of the Masters’ School of Music. He was the “kid violinist” on a Saturday afternoon show on radio station WIRE. Willeford continued his education at Arsenal Technical “Tech” High School where he won a regional violin contest and was a member of the cast in Big Hearted Herbert and Naughty Marietta.
Following his graduation in 1939, Willeford was awarded the Indiana University Hoosier Music Festival Scholarship in violin and enrolled in the School of Music. While at IU, he was a member of the Pro-Music Club, the Student University Symphony Orchestra, and the Glee Club. Willeford also was the student director of radio music. He performed with the IU Theater, co-authored the Jordan River Revue, and was a member of Theta Alpha Pi, national theatre honors fraternity. Willeford was also a member of Alpha Mu Omega fraternity.
Willeford joined the U. S. Navy V-5 program (Naval Flight Preparatory School) at IU. and when he received his B.P.S.M. (Bachelor of Public School Music) degree in 1943, he was commissioned an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve, on April 29, 1943. Four months later, he married Helen Marie Burton (27 Mar 1921-10 Sep 2000), a fellow School of Music student, at her family home in Sandborn, Indiana on August 22, 1943. The couple went to Norfolk, Virginia where Ensign Willeford was stationed. They would become the parents of Eileen Marie Willeford (20 Apr 1945-7 Jul 20 25) and Stephen “Steve” Warren Willeford (13 Apr 1948-23 Jul 2003).
Willeford was discharged from the service on February 8, 1946, and returned to Bloomington, Indiana where he pursued a Master’s degree and resumed acting with the University Theatre as a cast member in William Saroyan’s Time of Your Life. He continued to perform in plays and skits while directing the University Radio Ensemble. As a staff announcer for WTOM radio, Willeford gave the play-by-play for IU football and basketball games. He briefly was a salesman and announcer at radio station WITZ in Jasper, Indiana, returning to WTOM as assistant manager in 1949. The following year, Willeford was vice president of Collegiate Record Bar, Inc, a store handling over 125 different labels.
In the summer of 1951, Willeford was named program director for Indiana University’s laboratory FM radio station WFIU and later he was appointed program director of the IU Radio and Television Service. In 1956, Willeford wrote a 45-minute fictional drama dealing with civil rights on a college campus that was performed over a Sunday program on WTTV, Channel 4. He also was co-host of “Sunday Morning,” a television show airing on WTTV. Willeford came to Indianapolis in the fall of 1957 to host “Standout,” a program airing on WLWI, Channel 13, posing “the questions to Hoosier personalities.” He made his home in Irvington at 440 N. Irvington Ave.
At WLWI, Willeford was host of a daily movie show and later he had a five-minute spot called “Critic at Large” where he appraised plays, movies, books, and “anything else that strikes his fancy.” He also made his dramatic television debut as a “bad guy” in an episode of ABC-TV’s “Rifleman.” Willeford was the weekday weatherman, whose offbeat wit made the routine report palatable, and his Saturday night show, “By George,” was a program of talk, comedy monologues (written by him), and guest nightclub comedians and vocalists. In addition to being a TV personality and emcee, Willeford returned to the stage as a seaman in the Avondale Playhouse production of Mr. Roberts and continued with the show for a week in Detroit.
Willeford was the moderator in WLWI’s high school quiz show, “Exercise in Knowledge,” and his “hair trigger humor” kept the program on a quick pace. However, in August 1965 it was announced that “a schedule shakeup” at WLWI made Willeford’s “services no longer necessary.” He continued to perform in Avondale Playhouse productions like Affairs of State in the candy-striped tent at the Meadows Shopping Center and playing the violin Saturday evenings at the Italian Village restaurant. He also joined the Paul Lennon Ad Agency and was with the advertising department of WIFE radio. Willeford later was the advertising manager for Greater Indianapolis, a monthly magazine of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.
Starlight Musicals at the Hilton U. Brown Theater on the Butler University campus also provided Willeford with opportunities to “tread the boards.” He appeared in supporting roles in Oklahoma! and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Willeford also played the tycoon in the “naughty” comedy, Any Wednesday, and the errant husband in The Seven Year Itch on the stage of the Booth Tarkington Civic theater. He often appeared in special performances of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as a violinist or narrator.
In 1970, Willeford won the Civic Theatre’s best actor gold award for his role as the convict Joseph in My Three Angels. He also joined the Butler University faculty as professor and chair of the drama department of the Jordan College of Fine Arts, while continuing stage performances at the Black Curtain Dinner Theater in 1923 Skidoo, a revue written by, directed by, and starring George Willeford, and as a member of the Athenaeum Players of the Athenaeum Turners Theater, playing Lt. Cmdr. Queeg in the Caine Mutiny Court Martial.
Throughout the 1970s and into the early 1990s, Willeford could be found directing and performing at any venue in Indianapolis that had a stage. A prolific author of musical revues and comedy sketches that entertained countless audiences, Willeford became professor emeritus in 1986 and the following year he starred as Benjamin Franklin in the Civic Theatre’s production of 1776. In 1988, the Encore Association presented Willeford with the E. Edward Green Award, honoring his many years of service to community theater. Willeford was a “talented, hard-working, dedicated, sarcastic, irascible, demanding, opinionated, and interesting” individual. One of his last roles was Grandpa Joad in the Edyvean Theatre’s production of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.
George Willeford died in Community Hospital East on July 15, 1994, and was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church and the IU School of Music Alumni Association. Willeford built model ships in his spare time.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 25-Oct. 1

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:08:44 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, September 25, 1926: The sixth annual concert of the Educational Aid Society for Colored Orphans will take place at Shortridge High School’s Caleb Mills Hall Tuesday evening. An “All Hoosier Cast” of more than forty musicians of exceptional ability include 150 singers representing the colored schools that will be the background for the community sing of patriotic tunes. Among the ensembles performing are the Mt. Paran female quartet singing negro spirituals, the Mitchell chorus, and the Y.W.C.A. quintette. Several individual piano numbers will be given along with vocal soloists. The Educational Aid Society was organized to meet the problem of the institutional children when they leave the Colored Orphans’ Home by providing scholarships. While the benefit concert raises $1,200 (2025: $22,288) annually, churches, lodges, clubs and white and colored citizens contribute annually to the Society.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 18-24

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 05:08:43 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, September 23, 1926: A city-county public building with 400,000 square feet of floor space was proposed by architect William Eldridge yesterday before the Indianapolis Engineering Society as a solution to Courthouse and City Hall overcrowding. A six-story office style building with inside courts and wings, costing $4,500,000 (2025: $83,579,176), could be built on two-thirds of the market square. The proposed sale of the Courthouse would pay off its debt and provide some of the new construction funds. The Engineering Society recently suggested the market house be abandoned in favor of regional markets in the outlying parts of the city and City Hall might be turned over to the State as a museum. The plan would retain Tomlinson Hall and remodel its ground floor into the main auditorium and the second floor into a balcony floor.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 11-17

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 05:08:42 +0000

From The Indianapolis Star, Saturday, September 11, 1926: Formal dedication services of four new church buildings in Indianapolis and vicinity – Little Flower Catholic Church, 13th St and Bosart Av, Irvington Methodist Church on North Audubon Rd, Ben Davis Christian Church, and Garden City Christian Church – will be held tomorrow. Rt. Rev. Joseph Chartrand, bishop of the Indianapolis diocese, will lead the solemn high mass of dedicatory services at Little Flower Church and Bishop Frederick Leete will lead a special dedicatory service at the Irvington Methodist Church. Ben Davis Christian Church pastor Rev. Bernard Bass will lead the morning service followed by a basket dinner and the dedication sermon given by Rev. Otto A. Trinkle, pastor of Englewood Christian Church. Marion County evangelist Rev. Virgil P. Brock will deliver the dedication sermon at Garden City Christian Church tomorrow afternoon.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 4-10

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 05:08:06 +0000

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, September 5, 1926: Six Sisters of Providence are busily engaged daily in last-minute preparations for the opening of Ladywood, the newest school for girls in Indianapolis. Located seven miles northeast of the city on Millersville Rd, Ladywood is on the former Stoughton Fletcher estate, hidden in trees and surrounded by hills and streams, the site was recently purchased by the Sisters. The mammoth building is receiving the final touches that will make the school a home for thirty young women who are the first enrollees. Carpenters, electricians, other craftsmen, and decorators are rushing to complete their work for the school’s opening on September 28. The former third floor ballroom has been converted into a chapel, and the many bedrooms are now furnished with single beds and furniture that will bring delight to the feminine heart.

100 Years Ago: Aug. 28-Sept. 3

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:08:37 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Friday, September 3, 1926: The giant, 195-foot-long TC-5 airship soared gracefully over the eastern part of Indianapolis Thursday evening on her way from Scott Field, Illinois to Dayton, Ohio. The airship’s great size and the roar of her powerful motors led many residents to believe it was so close it almost touched treetops as it passed over homes. From the ground, the beautiful ship presented a thrilling sight with searchlights playing on the gas bag and lights gleaming from the cabin portholes. Its great size was emphasized by an accompanying army airplane flying in circles around the large air boat like a sparrow darting after some giant bird. It was the first time many in the city had seen a blimp in flight, its majestic size and deafening thunder of the motors creating a near panic.

Fresh Air Camps

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:09:26 +0000

The burning heat of summer arrived early in 1890 Indianapolis. By the end of June, the heat wave had taken the lives of 37 people, including 22 children under the age of two years. To ease the suffocating heat impacting the health of children, especially those from poor neighborhoods, Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch, pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church, 623 N. Pennsylvania St., circulated a letter among medical professionals inviting them to meet on July 2, 1890, with the Charity Organizations Society to develop a plan to meet the crisis. It was resolved to institute the “Summer Mission to Sick Children,” but where?
The Citizens’ Street Railroad Co. owned Fairview Park (present site of Butler University) and donated six acres at the south end of the grounds for the summer mission program. The street railroad also provided free transportation from all parts of the city to the women and children going to the summer camp. Three large and three small tents were set up for a hospital, a kitchen, and “for the comfort and convenience of those attending the Mission.” From mid-July through August, 187 children and 99 mothers enjoyed the refreshing clean air and sunshine at Fairview. Those attending were referred by their family physician and in addition to two nurses and a cook, 125 lady visitors “ministered with gentle hands” to the needs of those attending the Summer Mission. The daily contact with trained professionals enabled the mothers to acquire “better methods for caring for their babies and themselves.” The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis Journal, and Indianapolis Sentinel solicited funds to support the Mission and donations of provisions, clothing, ice, medicine, furniture, toys, swings, and hammocks made this first Summer Mission to Sick Children a success.
Each subsequent year, from June through August, more mothers and their children were provided with an opportunity to escape the summer heat, dust, and unhealthy air of the city, if only for a day of rest under the cooling trees. In the fifth season, McCulloch Cottage, a permanent hospital building, was erected and additional rustic structures were built over time, enabling the camp to accommodate more people per day. Newspapers frequently published a list of individuals, businesses, and organizations donating money or items for carrying the work of the summer mission.
The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star were at the forefront in encouraging and reporting on fundraising projects. The North Side Merry Workers and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Railway Postal Clerks were among the groups hosting lawn “fetes” with ice cream and cake, lemonade and cigars, and concerts given by The News’ Newsboys Band that provided venues for raising donations the Fresh Air Funds. Other events, from street fairs to children selling lemonade not only in Indianapolis, but in surrounding cities and towns helped to fill the Fund.
In addition to supporting the Summer Mission to Sick Children at Fairview Park, The Indianapolis News Fresh Air Fund contributed to a ten-day retreat at The Vacation Camp for Mothers and Children at “The Bellefontaine” cottage at Bethany Park, a Disciples of Christ meeting ground in Morgan County. The News also supported a week-long Fresh Air Camp for boys at Winona Lake in northern Indiana. In 1906, Cory’s Woods, a little west of Oaklandon, in northeastern Marion County, became the site of The News Fresh Air Farm. Easily accessible to Indianapolis by road along Pendleton Pike; by rail along the “Big Four” (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway – C.C.C. & St. L Ry); or by interurban along the Indiana Union Traction Co Indianapolis to Muncie line, the Fresh Air Farm sprawled across a woodland, the western edge beneath the shade of maples and beeches, along the winding banks of Indian Creek whose clear shallow waters provided children with delightful times of wading and splashing about. A meadow of wildflowers let the boys and girls gather bouquets to bring back to their mothers and elderly campers. Cottages and tents were put up and made ready to receive children and their mothers who would benefit from a few days in the country away from the city heat and smoke.
Cheeryvale was the name selected for the farm. Children had been asked to submit names and nine-year old Marie Conner submitted Cheeryvale because the name suggested a cheery place with children having cheery times. The success of the farm was dependent on the generosity of a charitable public and each year creative activities joined with the more traditional lawn fetes and lemonade stands in raising much needed funds. One of events that many happily looked forward to seeing annually was the Pioneer and Veteran baseball game in Irvington. Played on a Saturday afternoon in August on Irwin Field at Butler College, the “antiquarian teams” were composed of prominent Irvington men over the age of forty-five. Having seen a real ball game within the past year was deemed “professionalism” and a bar to a player’s eligibility. Humorist Kin Hubbard illustrated the scorecard, its whimsical ads providing revenue along with game ticket sales and the sale of peanuts and crackerjacks. Over the years, the Pioneer and Veteran baseball game raised hundreds of dollars for the fresh air fund. In 1910, the game donated $450 (2025: $15,817) and a new cottage at Cheeryvale was named “The Irvington.”
In 1917 with America’s entry into World War I, Cheeryvale merged with the Summer Mission for Sick Children. Six years later Fairview Park was being prepared for the future site of Butler University and Fairview Settlement, a summer camp for sick children under the auspices of the Family Welfare Society, opened south of the park.

100 Years Ago: Aug. 21-27

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:08:40 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Monday, August 23, 1926: Six bicycle teams, two youthful cyclists each, will compete in the third annual Irvington race. The fifteen-mile contest will take place on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Irvington Speedway, 5750 Hibben Ave. The track, banked on a forty-five-degree curve, was built by neighborhood cyclists under the direction of Don and Carl Vollrath, sixteen-year-old race promoters. The track measures one-twentieth of a mile; 375 laps will be required to complete the race. One of the “dangerous” curves has been made slippery with oil. Qualification trials will be held prior to the race. Carl Vollrath holds the new track one mile record, 3:15, an average speed of 18.4 miles per hour. The winning team will be presented with a silver trophy cup, and other entrants will receive merchandise prizes given by Irvington merchants.

100 Years Ago: Aug. 14-20

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:08:16 +0000

From The Indianapolis Times, Thursday, August 19, 1926: The police have started a campaign against “jay walking” in an effort to decrease the fast-growing death toll among pedestrian who fail to observe traffic regulations Inspector Lester Jones, of the traffic division, announced today. Four men and one woman were arrested today for violating a long dormant city ordinance prohibiting people from walking across the street diagonally at a street intersection. The arrests were made at Senate Av and Court St where nearly 1,000 workers leave the C. B. Cones & Sons Overall Factory and the Best Grand Laundry daily at 5 p.m. to cross to the Statehouse grounds. It was at this corner a woman was struck by a truck and killed on Monday. The maximum penalty for jay walking a $300 (2025: $5,572) fine and 180 days in jail.