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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: Aug. 18-24
From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, August 23, 1923: Work on eliminating or at least reducing several of the more prominent city street jogs is moving forward steadily, according to John Elliott, city civil engineer. Wrecking the building at the northwest corner of Sixteenth and Delaware streets is proceeding and as … Read More
100 Years Ago: Aug. 11-17
From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, August 14, 1923: At a meeting last night, delegates of the Central Labor Union overwhelming elected the American Federation of Labor slate, an exclusively anti-Ku Klux Klan ticket, whose handbills bore the motto “Keep Religious and Race Prejudice Out of the Labor Movement.” John Smith, … Read More
100 Years Ago: Aug. 4-10
From The Indianapolis Times, Saturday, August 4, 1923: Thirteen guns at Ft. Benjamin Harrison boomed at sunrise today in honor of President Warren G. Harding who died two days ago. Throughout the day a gun fired at half hour intervals in salute to the dead President and at sunset tonight … Read More
The Old Swimmin’ Hole
Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley captured the essence of every boy’s adventure on a hot summer’s day when he penned the lines: Oh! the old swimmin’-hole! In the long, lazy days… How plesant was the jurney down the old dusty lane, Where the tracks of our bare feet was all … Read More
100 Years Ago: July 28-Aug. 3
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, July 29, 1923: ”Plans submitted for the new colored orphans’ home at 25th St and Keystone Av were discussed yesterday in a closed meeting of the Marion County council and the board of commissioners. Among the architectural concepts, were plans for a traditional institutional style … Read More