Please reply ONLY on the Board (links below): ============================================ This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Smith, Overly, Kimble Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/0VB.2ACE/226.1.2.1 Message Board Post: Judy, Smith's are such a hard name to be searching for. If you read through my post describing my lineage, there is indeed a Joseph Smith. This is of course a different Joseph because he was born later and I have been able to trace him to Michigan with one of his son's at age 70 (1930).... I am responding because while searching for my Smith's I have noticed that this family did tend to use "family names" over and over. At the time, this was not all that unusal. The Smith's in Darke County seemed to do this. Sharon Williams is working on all the Smith's in this county. I have not talked to her in a while. She senttme the information that she had on the Smith's at the time and we were not able to place my Smith's in her information for sure but I suspect that we just haven't found the right document yet. I sent her an email recently to see how she was doing but did not hear back from her. I'll have to send her and email again...Anyway.. I know that my Smith's came from Darke County from Civil War records for James W Smiht which clearly states that he was born in Darke County, Ohio.. I am wonder if your Joesph is a younger brother to my James. Do you see the name Kisiah repeated in your family anywhere? I have it in mine and there was a Kisiah Smith born in Darke County too in the same generation as my James. I have no proof of a connection between James and the first Kisiah but I have a strong suspicion. James and his wife,Susannah, named their children using all the common names....John, Joseph, James, Charles, Mary Ann...etc (check my posting for the whole list). I have been watching these family names including Joseph... repeat themselves. All these same names show up up in Darke County in the early Ohio Census records. In my mind all of whom are potential parents to James...and his siblings...if we could just get them identified. The unusal name of Kisiah popped out to me when I noticed the name in! my family and then again in Darke County. I will keep an eye open and if I see anything I'll let you know. Please do the same. I will add you to my addres book if you don't mind as a Smith Researcher from Darke County Thanks, Jan Smith