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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: March 1-7
From The Indianapolis Star, Monday, March 3, 1919: New building and construction work in Indianapolis during the coming year is estimated at $5,040,000 (2018: $74,1627,729). Forty percent of the construction money will go to city projects that include schools, the first unit of the sewage disposal plant, and street and … Read More
World War I 100 Years Ago: March 1-7
From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, March 1, 1919: More than one hundred veterans suffering from “shell shock” are undergoing treatment at Ft. Benjamin Harrison hospital. Physicians caring for the men whose nerves were shattered by the thundering of the big guns along the Western Front call this form of nervous … Read More
The Market Street Art Colony
Fifteen years ago, Indianapolis artists and gallery owners organized a free bus tour of a few studios and galleries around downtown and Fountain Square. This quickly grew into the First Fridays “for people to make a night of enjoying art.” Today these monthly visits to city galleries and artists’ studios, … Read More
100 Years Ago This Week: Feb. 22-28
From The Indianapolis News, Monday, February 24, 1919: The airplane was used today for the first time to transport a prisoner. Dayton, Ohio police inspector Seymour Yendes arrived in Indianapolis at noon aboard a Wright Airplane Co aircraft to get Robert Tamplin, accused of stealing $50 (2017: $736) from a … Read More
World War I 100 Years Ago: Feb. 22-28
From The Indianapolis News, Wednesday, February 26, 1919: Yesterday, Indiana became the first state to enact anti-German school legislation when the Indiana House of Representatives suspended the rules and voted 97 to 0 to pass Sen. McCray’s bill which had earlier cleared the Indiana Senate by a vote of 48 … Read More