Projects

Our tri-annual is packed full of interesting articles and program information.  The newsletter is mailed to all members, government offices, libraries, and other historical societies.  Many of our out-of-state members look forward to their newsletter because it is their only connection to home.

We conduct 2 oral history projects.  Our “Veterans of Valor” program produces digital interviews of Campbell County veterans from all conflicts and our “Our Next Door Neighbor” program conducts interviews of everyday Campbell Countians because everyone has a story to tell.  We would love to hear your story.  Please contact our office at 859-635-6407 for more details.

How many times have you said that you wish you could go back and speak to a grandparent or great parent to ask them questions about their life?  None of us can go back in time, but all of us can plan for the future.  Your grandchildren or great grandchildren will be saying the same thing somewhere down the road.  Our “Our Next Door Neighbor” video/oral history project is the perfect way to pass the stories of your life on to your descendants. 

Oral history is a special way of telling a story that cannot be told from any written document or record.  It captures the context, circumstances, motivations, viewpoints, and inflections of the chronicler with a unique and personal style.    

Please contact our office to learn more about participating in this valuable project.  Each interviewee receives a DVD copy of the interview to share with family and friends.

ANDREA, Marjorie-2016

BEZOLD, Arnold-2009

BROSSART, Ray-2009

COX, Kathleen

DUNN, Orivta-2017

LESTER, Jan-2009

NELLIS, Walter Jerry-2009

NIENABER, Charmaine-2016

REIS, Kenneth-2009

SCHROEDER, Dolores-2016

THARP, Charles 2009

WANNER, Lester-2013

in honor of our veterans project Campbell County Historical Genealogical Society

We value the service to our country of our Campbell County veterans.  Every story is unique regardless of branch of service, rank, or duties.  Our Veterans of Valor video/oral history project is a way of preserving the memories and experiences of our service men and women for use by researchers and scholars and more personally for sharing those stories with your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Oral history is a special way of telling a story that cannot be told from any written document or record.  It captures the context, circumstances, motivations, viewpoints, and inflections of the chronicler with a unique and personal style.   

Please contact our office to learn more about participating in this valuable project.  Each interviewee receives a DVD copy of the interview to share with family and friends.

BAUER, Leonard E-2014

CHRISTEN, Leo-2015

CHRISTEN, Marie-2015

CLEVES, Edgar “Nic” 2014

COLLINS, Christopher-2013

CRAIL, John William-2015

FRAKES, Lee (a WWII gunner shot down) 2013

GUCKIEAN, Ralph T-2019

HANNEKEN, Larry-2015

GUCKIEAN, Ralph T-2019

MEIER, Allen-2017

MEYER, Dr. Dexter-2015

NELSON, Chester-2015

REED, Dale-2017

SCHADLER, Ed C-2016

SEIBERT, Herman “Buck” 2014

SEIFERT, John-2013

SIETER, Raymond W-2017

SPAULDING, Melvin-2016

SWITZER-Noah Robert-2014

TAYLOR, Sandy-2015

TIPTON, William-2014

VANLANDINGHAM, Susan-2019

HEROES AND PATRIOTS

These interviews were done by Diana Beineke

DORSEY, John

STINE, Dr. Fred
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THARP, Charles (filmed & edited by Kevin Sluder)
“Difference in patriotism from Pearl Harbor to World Trade Center”

WINNERS of the 2025 Essay Contest have been Selected!!!

This year we have 3 Junior Level Winners and 3 Senior Level Winners!

Please join us at our April 10, 2025 meeting when the prizes are awarded and all winners

are invited to read their essays.

Click Here for Flyer

TOPIC: Chose one of the following to write your essay:

1. An Ancestor who lived or lives in Campbell County-tell where they came from, where they settled and how they lived. Describe the historical significance of this ancestor in the community and your life. Photos welcome.

2. A Campbell County event of historic significance, such as a Civil War Battle, a murder (past or present) a visit by a politician-state or national, past or present, etc. If someone in your family was involved, describe the significance of this event to the county and its people.

3. A famous Campbell County person, for example:  politician, inventor, businessman or woman, writer, artist, musician, clergy person, educator, or a person of color, etc. Describe the historical significance of this person to the county and its people.

4. History of a Campbell County town, community, school, church or other specific sites – Describe the historical significance of this community or site to the county and its people.

* Writers are cautioned to avoid over-used topics (ie: Beverly Hills Fire, Pearl Bryan murder, etc.)  and are encouraged to bring to light people, events and/or places in Campbell County that reflect our historic past.

GUIDELINES:

* Written essay must be typed, double-spaced, and at least 1000 words for Senior level and 800 words for Junion level entries.  (Do not include sources in word-count)

* Must contain a separate page listing at least 3 sources, one of which must be a primary source. (Primary sources are immediate, first-hand accounts regarding the topic from people who had a direct connection with it. This can include, but is not limited to, journals/diaries; original documents such as letters, wills, vital records, census records, etc.; and newspaper accounts published around the time of the event.) Plagiarism (unquoted and/or unsourced copying of material) will cause an essay to be eliminated.

* Must contain a separate cover page with the following information:

➢ Campbell County 2025 Essay Contest
➢ Title of Essay
➢ Name
➢ Phone number of writer
➢ Home Address of writer
➢ School
➢ Grade
➢ Teacher’s Name

* Essay to be submitted in electronic form (word document or body of email) to:  Shirlene Jensen at ensjen392@gmail.com

* Essays become the property of the Campbell County Historical & Genealogical Society Archives.

Writers are encouraged to visit the Campbell County Historical & Genealogical Society Research Library and Museum to gather information for their essays!
Questions?
Please call or visit us at:
859-635-6407
8352 East Main St., 2nd Floor of the Courthouse in Alexandria
Tues. 10am-5pm
Thurs. & Sat 10am-2pm

Our Research Library continues genealogical histories on many Campbell County families.  Check our Library Collections page to see if your family is listed.  Members of our Volunteer Corps also search newspapers and the internet for announcements of weddings, births, deaths, and other life milestones. These items are collected in our collection of over 8,200 family files.  While not complete family genealogies, they can help to fill in some blanks in your family history research.

We maintain a collection of over 15,000 names of veterans of Campbell County that have served in our Armed Forces.  We are constantly updating and adding to this collection.  Please contact our office at 859-635-6407 for more details to add the name of your veteran to our files.

We have published 20+ books of Campbell County and related histories.  We have produced 4 volumes of Jim Reis’s Pieces of the Past articles, a history of the Wadsworth Watch Case Co., and a biography of David Leitch, who started the first permanent settlement in Campbell County and at one time owned over 30,000 acres of Campbell County real estate.  Our latest book is “One Day In Campbell County”.  We invited photographers to take pictures of the County on one particular day.  Sixty photographers submitted over 1,900 pictures which we used to create this book.