65 years ago – 1947
Village folk and summer residents alike turned out for the official opening and dedication of the new community building.

60 years ago – 1952
Joe and Leona McGaugh purchased the Idyllwild Market from Harold Sanborn and Bob O’Donne.

55 years ago – 1957
Thirteen hybrid Coulter-Jeffrey pines were counted in the Idyllwild area. There were said to be only 25 in the entire state.

45 years ago – 1967
There was a heavy downpour Saturday, and Labor Day weekend campers were rained out in most recreation spots.

40 years ago – 1972
While observers in Humber Park watched the entire operation, rescuers reached an Ontario man who had fallen from the Long Climb route on the northwest face of Tahquitz Rock and became lodged in a crevice.

35 years ago – 1977
Funds for a community beautification program, in memory of Betty Maxwell, passed the $1,000 mark. The memorial was initiated by the Izaak Walton League.

25 years ago – 1987
Judge Ronald Deissler granted a motion to throw out two of four causes of action against the San Jacinto Mountain Area Water Study Agency made by the Idyllwild Arts Foundation.

20 years ago – 1992
Hill resident Walter Schmidt hired Patrick Bradley to cut down the tree on his property in Mountain Center. The tree was supposed to be dropped in the meadow but landed in the intersection of highways 74 and 243. Hundreds of people were without power because the tree snapped three power poles and two power lines when it fell.

15 years ago – 1997
Idyllwild School passed the Individual Test of Academic Skills with high marks in reading.

10 years ago – 2002
“An Afternoon of Music For the Forest” at Buckhorn Camp raised about $2,000 toward maintaining and improving fuelbreaks in the Idyllwild and Pine Cove areas.

5 years ago – 2007
Marijuana with an estimated street value of $15 million was taken from a grove on Highway 74, about 3 miles from the Cranston Forest Service station. Sixteen helicopter loads took out 5,063 marijuana plants 5 to 7 feet tall and ready for harvest.

1 year ago – 2011
More than 400 lightning strikes occurred on the Hill overnight as thunder bellowed for hours and the lightning resembled the strobe lights at a discotheque. As of the next morning none had triggered a fire response.