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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: Dec. 15-21
From The Indianapolis Times, Monday, December 17, 1923: For the first time in Marion County court history the expression, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” may be heard next month. Judge Theophilus J. Moll, Superior Court, Room 5, today ordered the jury commissioners to draw twelve jurors for the regular … Read More
100 Years Ago: Dec. 8-14
From The Indianapolis Times, Tuesday, December 11, 1923: The Indianapolis Street Railway announced that the long promised cross-town service from Mt. Jackson to Irvington straight across Washington St. will become a reality starting Sunday. All cars on the West Washington St. line will make the cross-town run, while several of … Read More
100 Years Ago: Dec. 1-7
From The Indianapolis Times, Friday, December 7, 1923: While an opinion issued by the Indiana attorney general said police officers are not authorized to require persons who stop on a public highway to move on, Marion County Sheriff George Snider contends it’s a moral crusade to break up “petting parties” … Read More
The Color of Art
Indianapolis has a rich history of visual arts. The city’s cultural heritage has been enriched from the early days of settlement when German immigrant Samuel Rooker painted the city’s first signs and artist Jacob Cox painted portraits of leading citizens and the surrounding landscape. Later, the Hoosier Group artists — … Read More
100 Years Ago: Nov. 24-30
From The Indianapolis Times, Friday, November 30, 1923: Gov. Warren McCray was accused of embezzlement, grand larceny, forgery, false statements, obtaining money under false pretenses, and issuing fraudulent checks in an eight-count indictment issued today by the Marion County grand jury. McCray is charged with embezzling $10,000 (2022: $176,658) of … Read More