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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: Sept. 11-17
From The Indianapolis Star, Saturday, September 11, 1926: Formal dedication services of four new church buildings in Indianapolis and vicinity – Little Flower Catholic Church, 13th St and Bosart Av, Irvington Methodist Church on North Audubon Rd, Ben Davis Christian Church, and Garden City Christian Church – will be held … Read More
100 Years Ago: Sept. 4-10
From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, September 5, 1926: Six Sisters of Providence are busily engaged daily in last-minute preparations for the opening of Ladywood, the newest school for girls in Indianapolis. Located seven miles northeast of the city on Millersville Rd, Ladywood is on the former Stoughton Fletcher estate, hidden … Read More
100 Years Ago: Aug. 28-Sept. 3
From The Indianapolis News, Friday, September 3, 1926: The giant, 195-foot-long TC-5 airship soared gracefully over the eastern part of Indianapolis Thursday evening on her way from Scott Field, Illinois to Dayton, Ohio. The airship’s great size and the roar of her powerful motors led many residents to believe it … Read More
Fresh Air Camps
The burning heat of summer arrived early in 1890 Indianapolis. By the end of June, the heat wave had taken the lives of 37 people, including 22 children under the age of two years. To ease the suffocating heat impacting the health of children, especially those from poor neighborhoods, Rev. … Read More
100 Years Ago: Aug. 21-27
From The Indianapolis News, Monday, August 23, 1926: Six bicycle teams, two youthful cyclists each, will compete in the third annual Irvington race. The fifteen-mile contest will take place on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Irvington Speedway, 5750 Hibben Ave. The track, banked on a forty-five-degree curve, was built … Read More