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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: Jan. 21-27
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, January 27, 1922: A nine-hole golf course will be laid out on the former Dissette estate, north of Irvington, following a decision made yesterday by the board of park commissioners. A committee of Irvington golfers asked that a golf course be established on the Dissette … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 14-20
From The Indianapolis Times, Tuesday, January 17, 1922: Sixty destitute men, with families from six to nine persons, went to work cleaning streets and sewers today as a step toward relieving the city’s unemployment situation. These are the first of 200 men who will be put to work as needed … Read More
100 Years Ago: Jan. 7-13
From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, January 12, 1922: “I’m for the underdog,” Mayor Lew Shank declared in announcing a plan to put cots in the old county workhouse building, Twenty-first St. and Northwestern Ave., to provide overnight lodging for the needy and “broke.” Speaking to representatives of the Indianapolis Church … Read More
. . . And Some Surprises
‘Tis the season for gift giving. Santa’s bag is overflowing with toys, clothes, electronic games, and lots of surprises. One gift tucked deep in the bag most likely is a book, and while it may not be at the top of a child’s list (or even an adult’s) it is … Read More
100 Years Ago: Dec. 24-Jan. 6
From The Indianapolis News, Tuesday, December 27, 1921: Several hundred police officers, many in plain clothes, will be snooping around New Year’s Eve on the lookout for bulging hip pockets and the old, familiar smell of “wet” goods. Revelers fortunate enough to have any “drinkable” whisky, wine, or gin — … Read More