Indian Summer

It was cold in Wyoming, now it’s warm again. This time of year has been called Indian Summer for a long time. Now that I’ve got your attention by casually mentioning the weather and everyone loves talking about the weather. Here is why this time of year is called Indian Summer. I have no idea—just kidding.

People have speculated for two-hundred years over the derivation of the term Indian Summer. Many guesses as to where it came from have been tried but here is the correct and proper answer—or maybe I made it up yesterday.

Indian summer which must follow a hard frost is named after the time of year when the indigenous peoples of the plains harvested crops. Crops the natives planted east of the Missouri River and the harvest of wild plumbs and roots west of the big river. It was also the time for hunting, curing and storing of the meat for the winter sure to come.

There you have it from the one who knows—or made it up—Indian Summer!