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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: June 24-30
From The Indianapolis News, Tuesday, June 27, 1922: Mayor Lew Shank today signed the ordinance annexing Broad Ripple to the city of Indianapolis thereby adding $3,000,000 (2021: $50,374,618) in property valuation to the city’s tax base. Despite threats from remonstrators, Shank said, “Why shouldn’t Broad Ripple be annexed? The natural … Read More
100 Years Ago: June 17-23
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, June 23, 1922: The City Normal School will close following a recent opinion on the school’s legality by Indiana Attorney General Ulysses S. Lesh. It was determined that the Indianapolis public school board has no authority in law to appropriate money for the operation of … Read More
100 Years Ago: June 10-16
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, June 14, 1922: The Indianapolis Federation of Clubs presented a resolution to the Marion County commissioners recommending extending the facilities at Sunnyside Tuberculosis Hospital for caring and treating colored tubercular persons both to safeguard the city and as a humanitarian policy. An investigation showed the … Read More
100 Years Ago: June 3-9
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, June 7, 1922: To promote civic pride, the Indianapolis Federation of Community Civic Clubs plans to take the 2,500 eighth-grade school children on a sight-seeing tour of the city next Tuesday afternoon. The plan has been indorsed by Ada Finfrock, Parent-Teachers’ Association president, who said, … Read More
Lest We Forget
It began as a day near the end of May, the 30th to be exact, and over a century later it was designated the last Monday of May, creating a three-day holiday weekend. Memorial Day, or as it was known to earlier generations, Decoration Day, is a day set aside … Read More