Coal smoke, everybody heated their house with coal, and the steam engines parked in the rail yard down the street still ran on it. Some years back I was up on Mt Washington NH when their cog railway locomotive was still coal-burning.

The smell of smoke, soot and grease instantly took me back.

"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744