-
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
A Column of Newsprint
For decades alongside the columns of news in Indianapolis papers readers could find stories of human interest and opinion written by a variety of nationally syndicated columnists. In 1928, the Indianapolis Times introduced journalist Heywood Broun whose daily column “It Seems to Me” took readers “behind the scenes of every … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 27-Feb. 3
From The Indianapolis Times, Monday, January 29, 1923: Spring isn’t here yet, but marble games are, and that’s a sure sign nice warm weather isn’t very far away. There’s something that gets in a kid’s blood along about this time of year, and there is just one way to get … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 20-26
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, January 26, 1923: A resolution condemning the Ku Klux Klan was adopted yesterday by the council of the Indianapolis Protestant Episcopal Church Diocese at its annual meeting. The resolution expressed “strong disapproval and condemnation of the Ku Klux Klan, and all other secret political societies … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 13-19
From The Indianapolis Times, Wednesday, January 17, 1923: The city dog pound is no more and a whiff of chloroform emanates from the place as ill dogs or those for whom no home could be found are put to death. Former pound master Dr. Elizabeth Conger said it’s an act … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 6-12
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, January 10, 1923: Mayor Lew Shank proposes acquiring two or more German police dogs, direct from Germany, to do police work in Indianapolis. Dogs could be taught to ascertain at a sniff that a “bootlegger” has a hip flask or to distinguish from afar the … Read More