-
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
“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”
While many New Year’s Eve revelers celebrated at glitzy downtown Indy hotel ballrooms and trendy Broad Ripple and Mass Avenue bars and lounges, the end of our earthly home’s revolution of the sun and the commencement of another spin through the blackness of space guided by the stars, others chose … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 31-Feb. 6
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, February 4, 1925: Mayor Lew Shank yesterday appointed Lelia Kern Taylor, the wife of Dr. James H. Taylor, the first woman member of the Indianapolis plan commission. Long active in civic affairs, Mrs. Taylor said of her appointment, “I do not know what problems the … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 24-30
From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, January 24, 1925: The East Side Broadcast Listeners Association has been formed by residents in that part of Indianapolis to ferret out the causes of the buz-z-z buz-z-z-and rip-saw antics of radio receiving sets that has gotten on the nerves of the local radio owners. … Read More
100 Years Ago This Week: Jan. 3-9
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, January 7, 1925: The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce has requested a lighting engineer of a large eastern electric corporation to make a survey of the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument and determine the cost of flood lighting after the Monument board of control promised to … Read More
Christmas Memories – Irvington
Today, Christmastime in Irvington is an early December Friday evening of local holiday shopping, picking out a tree at the Methodist Church lot, and Luminaria open houses before families and friends gather around the Christmas tree in homes to exchange presents all the while keeping in mind the idyllic image … Read More