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