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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
The Classic Suburb…And Note
Every day the sound of music rings out across Irvington as the chimes of the Methodist Church proclaims the hour and on Saturday summer evenings at Irving Circle Park the sweet sounds of Audio Diner and other local musicians waft across a crowd of gentle listeners. Every October, Irvingtonians look … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 30-Feb. 12
From The Indianapolis News, Monday, February 1, 1926: Indianapolis will be only half lit tomorrow at midnight. As an experiment to keep the street lighting bill within the budget for the year, assistant city engineer Arthur Haufer announced that all streetlights on one side of each main thoroughfare will be … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 23-29
From The Indianapolis News, Monday, January 25, 1926: Indianapolis attorney Charles Orbison was appointed imperial klaliff (vice president) of the Ku Klux Klan national organization by imperial wizard Hiram Evans at a Hotel Lincoln banquet attended by 300 Indiana Klansman yesterday evening. Orbison will receive an annual salary of $12,000 … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 16-22
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, January 22, 1926: Shortly before noon today, Grace May Banta Urbahns was administered the oath of office at her home, 404 E. 43rd St, becoming the first woman treasurer of the state of Indiana and the first woman to hold a major office provided by … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 9-15
From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, January 13, 1926: Recognizing that pigeons in University Square must eat and there isn’t much nourishment in snowflakes, dancer Alma Neilson, this week’s headliner at Keith’s Theater, after visiting the park yesterday morning with four pounds of cracked corn which disappeared with such rapidity that … Read More