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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: Jan. 26-Feb. 1
From The Indianapolis News, Monday, January 28, 1924: A new automatic traffic signal has been installed at Meridian St. and Maple Rd. (38th St.) which should be approached “with care and respect,” according to the Hoosier Motor Club, which explains, “This is no longer just a dummy marker, for it … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 19-25
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, January 20, 1924: The official opening of the new Indianapolis Athletic Club was celebrated last night when more than 1,000 men attended the membership banquet in the club’s magnificent main dining room. Hundreds of members inspected the building before the evening festivities and proclaimed it … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 12-18
From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, January 12, 1924: “SCHOOL ZONE – DON’T KILL A CHILD” proclaims special warning signs placed by the Hoosier Motor Club safety department in the vicinity of the portable public school building at Emerson and English avenues. The signs are intended to protect children who attend … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 5-11
From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, January 10, 1923: “I don’t think there’s a place in the American republic for such organizations as this,” District Judge Albert Anderson said in federal court yesterday in ruling on the case of six South Bend citizens who asked for an injunction restraining the Ku … Read More
Christmas on Julian Avenue
My mom and dad were married only months before Pearl Harbor. They were living happily in an apartment on Webster Ave. and my dad was working as a coremaker at the International Harvester plant on Brookville Rd. when their lives and the lives of millions were suddenly changed by the … Read More