Before Our Time: Sequoias, settle in here …
A grove of giant sequoias in the San Jacinto Mountains? Yes indeed!
One sultry day this summer, I was hiking with friends up one of...
Before Our Time: Resident-friendly development of Idyllwild …
As Idyllwild took shape and acquired its unique culture between 1920 and 1960, three developers played central roles. Two are well-known.
Claudius Lee Emerson controlled...
Before Our Time: Idyllwild furniture …
Between 1925 and 1960, Idyllwild became widely known as a center for the manufacture of craftsman-style furniture.
Hal Holcomb, “the Rustic Man,” started it...
Before Our Time: Idyllwild’s “Name game” …
An old tradition my forebears brought from Britain is the habit of bestowing names on their homes. It reached Idyllwild in the 1920s to...
Before Our Time: How communities evolve
The current ferment about where and how to manage public recreation in Idyllwild calls to mind a place where Hill folk gathered for...
Before our time: An Idyllwild institution — the Chamber of Commerce …
An Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce with 700 members? Dream on! And yet.....
Our Chamber’s recent demise piqued my curiosity about its origin. I found evidence...
Before our time: Another Mountain Center Fire — 1943 …
The fire erupted unseen in dried-out brush, and wind drove it through Mountain Center before the first fire crew arrived. As flames raced down...
Before Our Time: Idyllwild School …
Most of us with careers in education know the sense of relief that comes with the end of a school year. I suspect that...
Before Our Time: From lumber to recreation …
As this past summer’s well-deserved centennial celebration for Ernie Maxwell fades into memory, I’d like to focus attention on an equally fascinating Idyllwild pioneer:...
Before Our Time: Village center …
In a place that changes as slowly as Idyllwild, what’s new about a New Year? Seven years ago it was the imminent opening...