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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: May 17-23
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, May 18, 1924: Butler College held an open house at its new Fairview Park site yesterday and a large number of friends of the college came out to inspect the grounds and see a baseball game between the Bulldogs and the University of Chicago. Members … Read More
100 Years Ago: May 10-16
From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, May 13, 1924: Ku Klux Klan representatives from ninety-one Indiana county Klan councils, meeting last night at the Cadle Tabernacle, defied the “despotism and imperialistic power” of the national organization and unanimously adopted resolutions of self-determination for the Indiana Klan, electing D. C. Stephenson, “the … Read More
100 Years Ago: May 3-9
From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, May 7, 1924: Yesterday’s primary election demonstrated the Ku Klux Klan’s ability to become a controlling factor in Indiana politics. Hoosier voters went to the polls and expressed their sentiments either for or against the Klan, and apparently the Klan claims of strength have not … Read More
Starry, starry night…
Field trips are adventures grade schoolers eagerly anticipate. When I was a student at IPS No. 57, annual field trips initially included the Childrens’ Museum (the old house on N. Meridian St. crammed with stuff), the President Benjamin Harrison Home, and the James Whitcomb Riley Home. Later, the newly completed … Read More
100 Years Ago: April 26-May 2
From The Indianapolis Times, Tuesday, April 29, 1924: Gov. Warren T. McCray resigned today following his conviction in Federal Court last evening for mail fraud. The jury returned its verdict after deliberating thirteen minutes, finding McCray guilty of fraudulently writing 2,500 letters, each one in violation of the postal laws, … Read More