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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: April 21-27
From The Indianapolis News, Monday, April 23, 1923: Fred S. Beck, city smoke inspector, is preparing charges against engineers and superintendents of fifteen public and industrial buildings for violation of the city smoke ordinance. The individuals to be charged are allegedly responsible for clouds of smoke from the stacks of … Read More
100 Years Ago: April 14-20
From The Indianapolis Star, Friday, April 20, 1923: The design submitted by Cleveland, Ohio architects Frank R. Walker and Harry E. Weeks for the Indiana World War Memorial was selected yesterday afternoon by a jury of distinguished architects from 26 entries. The plan proposes a towering shrine of classic Greek … Read More
100 Years Ago: April 7-13
From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, April 10, 1923: The U. S. Army dirigible TC-1, the largest non-rigid American airship, cruised majestically at 500 feet over Indianapolis shortly after noon yesterday, circling above the Monument before departing for St. Louis, leaving in its wake craning necks and mounting waves of excitement. … Read More
Nature Calls
You’re on the go and nature calls — where to go to go? That is the question. More than a century ago a newspaper article observed, in all “American cities, practically no provision is made for ‘public comfort stations’ outside of saloons. Department stores provide these ‘for customers only.’ Hotels … Read More
100 Years Ago: March 24-April 6
From The Indianapolis Times, Tuesday, March 27, 1923: Rev. Daisy Douglass Barr, president of the Indiana War Mothers, resigned last evening after a number of gold star mothers had “strongly disapproved” of her reported efforts in organizing a woman’s Cu Clux Clan while attending to her duties as president of … Read More