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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
The Classic Suburb in Word
Visual arts are often the most prominent examples of culture, frequently overshadowing the written word. However, like its rich heritage in paint, Irvington has a significant literary tradition that has deep roots in journalism. Grace Julian Clarke, the daughter of former U. S. Congressman George W. Julian, came to Irvington … Read More
100 Years Ago: Dec. 19-Jan. 1
From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, December 22, 1925: Sales of Christmas Seals, those little holiday emblems of better health, have exceeded previous years according to the Marion County Tuberculosis Association. While thousands of citizens are sending in their checks to the Christmas Seal headquarters for their annual sticker supply, sales … Read More
100 Years Ago: Dec. 12-18
From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, December 12, 1925: D. C. Stephenson, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon now serving a life sentence in Indiana State Prison for the murder of Madge Oberholtzer, appeared in circuit court at Noblesville today where his attorneys filed motions asking his conviction of second-degree murder … Read More
100 Years Ago: Dec. 5-11
From The Indianapolis Times, Wednesday, December 9, 1925: Answering assertations made by six women that young men – “shieks” – in autos and on downtown corners are annoying women and girls and nothing is being done, Prosecutor William Remy said politics in the police department is responsible for “sheiking” because … Read More
Irvington The Classic Suburb
Irvington was recently designated one of the cultural districts of Indianapolis, an official recognition that Irvingtonians have known for decades for the name “Irvington” proclaims culture. For 150 years Irvington, once the site of Butler University, has been known as the Classic Suburb, the home of artists, authors, and musicians. … Read More