Indian Summer, The Smoky Mountains, and pollution

[mark worden]

OED (OED2 v 1.4)
Indian summer.
[Indian a. 2.]
a. A period of calm, dry, mild weather, with hazy atmosphere, occurring in
the late autumn in the Northern United States. Also transf. in other
countries.
(The name is generally attributed to the fact that the region in which the
meteorological conditions in question were originally noticed was still
occupied by the Indians; but other more specific explanations have been
essayed. In its origin it appears to have had nothing to do with the glowing
autumnal tints of the foliage, with which it is sometimes associated. The
actual time of its occurrence and the character of the weather appear also
to vary for different regions: see the quots.)
1778 'J. H. St. John de Crèvecour' Sk. 18th-Cent. Amer. (1925) 41 It [sc.
snow] is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called
the Indian Summer.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sam Clements" <sclements at NEO.RR.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 5:16 PM
Subject: Indian Summer, The Smoky Mountains, and pollution


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Sam Clements <sclements at NEO.RR.COM>
> Subject:      Indian Summer, The Smoky Mountains, and  pollution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> If I have my facts straight, "Indian Summer" goes back in print to the =
> late 1700's.  The cite from Mathews says "...a short interval of smoke =
> and mildness."  What was the origin of the smoke?  Man-made or simply =
> natural tree pollution?  Water vapor?
>
> When did the Smoky's get their name?  Again, water vapor, tree =
> pollution, or what? =20
>
> When do the "Blue Ridge" mountains in Va. get their name?  Again, =
> related to "blue" colored mists? =20
>