Preserving local history since 1999
About This Collection
This collection brings together local history books, family memoirs, genealogy, photographs, and other records to help preserve the stories of the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches and its people.
The project began in 1999, when the internet was still becoming part of everyday life. Andy Niekamp recognized the potential of the internet and digitized I Remember It Well, the autobiography of his late grandmother, Alfrida Willke. Before her death, she had lamented that “nobody would read her book.” Determined to prove her wrong, Andy made her life story and extensive Kleinhenz family history available online for readers around the world.
Since then, Andy has continued collecting and digitizing history books, bringing the wealth of stories and information in old, out-of-print volumes to a wider audience.
The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
In west-central Ohio, church steeples topped with crosses rise above farm fields and small towns. Known as the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches, this region is shaped by the faith, traditions, and communities of its German Catholic settlers. This collection focuses on Mercer, Auglaize, Darke, and Shelby counties and the families whose stories connect them.
Finding Your Way Around
On the Home page, books and other resources are grouped by community, county, family, or subject. Open a category to browse its entries, or use Expand All to see the collection. Each entry includes available information such as the title, author, description, file size, and page count. Select a cover or title to open the linked resource.
Use the search box to filter the listings by a name, place, title, or keyword. The filter searches the text of the catalog entries; it does not search inside the books. Select Clear to return to browsing.
Explore with AI Research
The AI Research page introduces Andy Niekamp’s Google NotebookLM notebook. Ask questions across the historical sources included in the notebook, explore connections, or request summaries. A Google account is required. Follow the citations back to the original passages and check names, dates, and other details against the source. The notebook may not include every resource on this site.
Donate Your History Books
Do you have old, out-of-print history books gathering dust on your bookshelf? Have you written a memoir, compiled genealogy research, or inherited old photographs that need a home? Please consider donating your materials to help preserve these stories for future generations. They will be digitized and added to this collection for everyone to explore and enjoy.
Contact Andy to arrange a donation.
About Andy Niekamp
Andy Niekamp, of Dayton, Ohio, maintains this website to preserve family and local history and make historical and research information available to the public.
Andy is the grandson of Andrew & Alma (Bertke) Niekamp and Edgar & Alfrida (Kleinhenz) Willke. His parents are Andrew Niekamp & Janet (Willke) Niekamp Bolton.