55 years ago – 1957
Bee Krone composed the song “Let’s Keep America Beautiful,” and Philippe Buhler composed music for a string quartet which was given a first performance at the University of Redlands.

50 years ago – 1962
The County Board of Supervisors launched a campaign to have the Banning-Idyllwild Highway taken into the state highway system.

45 years ago – 1967
Arthur Gutzman announced that he would resign as director of the Idyllwild Youth Association.

40 years ago – 1972
Route 243, The Idyllwild-Banning Highway, was designated a Scenic Highway with the signing of a resolution by State Director of Public Works, James A. Moe.

35 years ago – 1977
The cousin of an Idyllwild man died in history’s greatest air disaster in the Canary Islands.

30 years ago – 1982
A six-day storm during the last official days of winter left about 2 feet of snow and added 5.06 inches of moisture in Idyllwild.
• • •
Charlie Kretsinger and George Hoffman, both of Idyllwild, were awarded service pins by the Idyllwild Lions Club.

25 years ago – 1987
An $8.9-million increase in a Clean Water Grant for the Idyllwild-area sewer project was received and planners were preparing to go to bid.

20 years ago – 1992
A group of California Department of Transportation officials came to Idyllwild to discuss the Strawberry Creek Bridge replacement project and the contentious subject of removing three trees. Despite protests, the group announced that the trees would have to go.

15 years ago – 1997
Palani Einstein of Stone Creek was off to live in the Bay Area to train with her racing team after a recent run of wins in Mesa, Ariz.

10 years ago – 2002
Idyllwild resident David Salter was the Hemet High decathlon team’s strongest performer at the state Academic Decathlon.

5 years ago – 2007
A skull and bones found along Highway 74 were identified as the remains of Claude Rochon of Hemet.

1 year ago – 2011
American Legion Post 800, Mountain Disaster Preparedness and Riverside County Community Action agreed that the Legion would be designated as an official winter warming center for the greater Idyllwild community.