Thanks to Dale MacAllister's further detective work, John finds his great ancestor Johan Albrecht Schmidt, born 1729 in Wurttemberg Germany and buried in Virginia. This finding unlocks an intriguing piece of John's ancestral past. 42 million Americans can trace their roots back to Germany - and all they've brought with them: hardworking values and invaluable contributions like agriculture, technology and sciences. But even though so much of American culture is rooted in these dedicated immigrants, many have been left out of our history books - none more so than John himself who grew up in Ohio unaware of his remarkable German heritage.

Instagram: IsJohnSmithMyName

• Kinship Family Resource Center
• Rocktown History, VA
• VAGenWeb Project
• Frieden’s Church
• Germans in America
• German Immigrants and American Politics
• US Census German American
• Jackson Center, Ohio
• John Smith Remembering the Moon Landing
• Juanita Smith 70th Class Reunion

Executive Producer: Iran Davar Ardalan
Host: John Oliver Smith
Genealogist & Curator: Jean Conte, Abigail Koontz
Historian: Dale MacAllister
Researcher: Margaret Hotchner
Sound Design: Javier Perez
Podcast Art: Nikki McLay
AI Marketing Assistant: Jasper.ai & ChatGPT

Celebrating the bicentennial of his great-great grandfather Hardin Albert Smith who was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, John and Iran head next to Rocktown History in Harrisonburg. Records remain scarce as they try to trace back numerous generations. Historian Dale MacAllister then turns to Church records and his sleuthing skills to uncover an astonishing hidden gem from the Smith family history.  Turns out, John's relatives changed their name from “Schmidt” to "Smith" to fit in during colonial times. Technology then opens up a world of possibilities. Through a speech synthesizer, one of John's German ancestors, Catherine Kessler, joins him on their historical reenactment, connecting the past and present like never before.

Instagram: IsJohnSmithMyName

• Kinship Family Resource Center
• Rocktown History, VA
• VAGenWeb Project
• Frieden’s Church
• Germans in America
• German Immigrants and American Politics
• US Census German American
• Jackson Center, Ohio
• John Smith Remembering the Moon Landing
• Juanita Smith 70th Class Reunion

Executive Producer: Iran Davar Ardalan
Host: John Oliver Smith
Genealogist & Curator: Jean Conte, Abigail Koontz
Historian: Dale MacAllister
Researcher: Margaret Hotchner
Sound Design: Javier Perez
Podcast Art: Nikki McLay
AI Marketing Assistant: Jasper.ai & ChatGPT

Set off with John and Iran on their exciting quest to unravel the mysteries of John's family tree. With help from Jean Conte, a genealogist at Washington County Historical Society, they explore land records dating back centuries. And sure enough - amidst all the sea of 'John Smiths' in Maryland- Jean reveals gems like an ancestor's estate sale with some timeless classics: a black mare, a keg, a rocking chair, and three choice pigs. Turns out Hagerstown's history goes all the way back to German immigrant Jonathan Hager, who established the city in 1762. Plus Maryland joined the union in 1788, the year John's ancestor John H. Smith might have been born in Hagerstown.

Instagram: IsJohnSmithMyName

• Kinship Family Resource Center
• Rocktown History, VA
• VAGenWeb Project
• Frieden’s Church
• Germans in America
• German Immigrants and American Politics
• US Census German American
• Jackson Center, Ohio
• John Smith Remembering the Moon Landing
• Juanita Smith 70th Class Reunion

Executive Producer: Iran Davar Ardalan
Host: John Oliver Smith
Genealogist & Curator: Jean Conte, Abigail Koontz
Historian: Dale MacAllister
Researcher: Margaret Hotchner
Sound Design: Javier Perez
Podcast Art: Nikki McLay
AI Marketing Assistant: Jasper.ai & ChatGPT