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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 This Week: Oct. 13-19
From The Indianapolis Star, Saturday, October 13: So acute has the coal shortage become in the last few day that unless a state coal administrator is named soon by the Federal Fuel Administration the state government will take the necessary action to see that Hoosiers are supplied with fuel. Ernest … Read More
World War I 100 Years Ago: Oct. 13-19
From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, October 13: A few days ago, the first airplane flight of the United States Army signal corps’ aerial arm crossed Indiana between the government’s flying fields at Rantoul, IL and Dayton, OH. It was the first use of the “aerial route” between the two fields … Read More
100 Years Ago: Oct. 6-12
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, October 7: Indianapolis baseball fans closely followed the first game of the World Series from Comiskey Park between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants by dialing 1207 and hearing operators repeat the inning by inning bulletins. “All Indianapolis, it seemed, was interested … Read More
World War I 100 Years Ago: Oct. 6-12
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, October 7: Today is the birthday anniversary of Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley, and Hoosiers can show their appreciation of this great writer and humanitarian by contributing to the fund supporting the American Poets’ Ambulances Committee to send a Red Cross ambulance to the battle … Read More
Gilded Dreams and Bubbles
As an historian, I love maps, especially old maps — folding maps — atlases, especially atlases. I liked to flip though encyclopedias as a kid. The occasional photo was usually in black and white, so when I came across a map in color with its palette of pinks, greens, blues, … Read More