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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
Ah-ooga-ooga!
The automobile has played an important part in my life; in fact, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the automobile. If your mind is wondering, no, I don’t mean that. In the summer of 1940 while Nazi tanks were racing across France, my mom to be, Henrietta Dickinson, … Read More
100 Years Ago: May 25-31
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, May 31: The Marion County Workhouse, 403 W. 21st St, will close tomorrow and the eighteen prisoners now confined there will be moved to the county jail where the sheriff will set off space to be designated as the workhouse. The county commissioners said the … Read More
World War I 100 Years Ago: May 25-31
From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, May 30: The Daily Telegraph-Tribune and the Sunday Spottvogel, the two German language newspapers of Indianapolis, will suspend publication Monday for at least the duration of the war. August Tamm, president of the Gutenberg Co and editor of the papers, said this decision “has been … Read More
World War I 100 Years Ago: May 18-24
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, May 24: The week-long War Chest campaign across Indianapolis brought in pledges of $2,281,002 (2017: $ 37,846,583), but far short of its goal. After receiving this report at a noon luncheon, William Fortune, war chest board president, said, “Heroic work must be done between now … Read More
100 Years Ago This Week: May 18-24
From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, May 23: The Boy Scout executive board has decided on a permanent camp site for the Boy Scouts of Indianapolis and has authorized $30,000 (2017: $497,763) to purchase the site. The 90-acre Vandercook farm, northeast of the city and west of Ft. Benjamin Harrison, was … Read More