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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: Aug. 2-9
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, August 6, 1913: City Hall was closed as tight as a drum yesterday as nearly 3,000 city employees and their friends attended the municipal picnic at the State Fair Grounds. Contests of all kinds filled the day with a welcome intermission shortly after noon for … Read More
The Civil War — 150th Anniversary
Note: 2013 continues the 150th anniversary of the greatest conflict in which Americans were ever engaged – the Civil War. This is the thirty-first in a series of articles providing a month by month synopsis from the pages of The Indianapolis Daily Journal of Hoosier reactions to national events. Wednesday, … Read More
100 Years Ago This Week: July 19-26
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, July 20, 1913: A crowd of 40,000 persons watched Indianapolis firefighters battle a stubborn three-alarm blaze of unknown origin that swept the wholesale district Saturday night. The spectacular conflagration began in the Layman-Carey Hardware Co 111-115 S. Meridian St, and by the time the fire … Read More
100 Years Ago This Week: July 12-19
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, July 16, 1913: Small boys bathe their dogs, men soak their heads, women wash their hands and other small boys of a mischievous nature throw water on passersby out of the drinking fountains at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in the Circle and keep them … Read More
100 Years Ago This Week: June 28-July12
From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, July 2, 1913: Nearly 5,000 store clerks entered downtown streets shortly after 5 p. m. last evening happily enjoying the rule adopted by the majority of stores to close at 5 p. m. weekdays and 6 p.m. Saturdays during July and August. No other city … Read More