70 years ago - 1947

Luther Weare, former owner, publisher and editor of the Town Crier, in the paste-up room in the stone building in Fern Valley in 1972. File photo

Deputy Max Jensen, assigned to the mountains by the Sheriff’s Department, reported that during the previous six months, he had handled 92 assignments with 12 arrests.

65 years ago - 1952

A rather hectic program was readied for a visit by TV’s “Queen for a Day.” A weekend on the Hill was one of the prizes awarded on the popular show.

60 years ago - 1957

School trustees voted unanimously to allow seventh- and eighth-graders to remain on the Hill for the next term.

55 years ago - 1962

Scoutmaster Jim Eslinger fell from a high bunk at Camp Emerson and broke his hip. He lay on the floor until daybreak before waking others in the room.

50 years ago - 1967

The first Harvest Festival was a success. “I’m signing up now for space next year!” one exhibitor declared on the final day of the show.

45 years ago - 1972

“ISOMATA will be one of the gems in the crown of USC,” Dr. John Hubbard, president of USC, promised a Town Hall audience. Horace Hahn hosted a reception for Dr. Hubbard at his home. After the party broke up, a fire broke out and totally destroyed Hahn’s home.

40 years ago - 1977

Vandals destroyed five stained-glass windows at the Queen of Angels Catholic Church on North Circle Drive. The windows had been donated to the church just five months earlier.

35 years ago - 1982

The State Allocation Board approved Phase I funding for the Garner Valley secondary school.

30 years ago - 1987

The largest audience in the 11-year history of Handel’s “Messiah” turned out for the performance. That year, it was conducted by Dwight “Buzz” Holmes, ISOMATA Conference Center director.

25 years ago - 1992

Girl Scout Troop 295 was outside the Idyllwild Post Office selling tickets for boxed chicken dinners from the Squirrel’s Nest to raise money for grass to be planted on Idyllwild Elementary School’s upper field.

20 years ago - 1997

A Thanksgiving meal may have saved a life. A dog, “Mercy Jo,” was hidden beneath a building when Danette Grady coaxed it out with her Thanksgiving dinner. The dog was suffering  from a fractured leg and had a choke collar caught in her mouth.

15 years ago - 2002

Santa Ana winds complicated Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit’s rescue of two Lily Rock climbers and caused property damage from falling trees that resulted in three power outages.

10 years ago - 2007

Coming off a steady sophomore year on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, Brendan Steele shot a six-round score of 428 in the Final Qualifying Stage of the PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament.

5 years ago - 2012

Jay Johnson and son Jason met with county representatives to begin
the transfer of Idyllwild’s Town Hall and lands to the county. The Idyllwild Chamber, lacking funds for maintenance and repair of Town Hall, had recently returned the building and lands to the Johnson family, who had held a reversionary interest.

1 year ago - 2016

Idyllwild Arts Academy Theatre Department presented an original musical based on Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”