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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: July 26-Aug. 1
From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, July 31, 1924: The Federated Patriotic Societies gave their annual picnic today in Brookside Park for the Grand Army of the Republic. Eighty-six Civil War veterans were guests of honor for a day devoted to reminiscences. Three comrades of the same regiment munched ice cream … Read More
100 Years Ago: July 19-25
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, July 20, 1924: Amzi C. Zaring, proprietor of the North Star Theater and the Garrick Theater, announced plans for the construction of one of largest neighborhood motion picture houses in the city. The new theater, to be built on the northeast corner of Central Ave. … Read More
100 Years Ago: July 12-18
From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, July 17, 1924: The annual French fete sponsored by the Irvington American Legion Post to raise money to care for wounded or permanently disabled American servicemen opened last evening at Jameson [Ellenberger] Park. The four-day event given during the week of France’s Bastille Day holiday … Read More
100 Years Ago: July 5-11
From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, July 9, 1924: Last night after lengthy discussion, the Indianapolis board of school commissioners, with the approval of schools superintendent Ellis Graff, by a vote of 3 to 2, rescinded a rule preventing the employment of women teachers with young children and adopted a substitute … Read More
Butler College Romances
In the not-so-distant past, it was a popular perception that young women went to college to get a degree in teaching or an MRS. degree. Outside of teaching, there was little women could do with a college degree. Even women with law degrees were relegated to reading abstracts at law … Read More