Downtown Idyllwild, September, 1953. File photo
Downtown Idyllwild, September, 1953. File photo

65 years ago - 1950

Plans for the new Community Church were being drawn up.

 

60 years ago - 1955

The Rustic Theatre was playing “Cattle Queen of Montana,” starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan.

 

55 years ago - 1960

Temperatures in Idyllwild hit a five-year low; Idyllwild Dairy reported a reading of 5 degrees.

 

50 years ago - 1965

After a detailed explanation of how a proposed treatment plant would operate and not produce odors, a group of Idyllwild property owners approved plans for a local sewage system.

 

45 years ago - 1970

It was announced that work would soon begin on the largest subdivsion ever planned for the San Jacinto Mountains. The tract of 3,700 lots was to be named Lake Idyllwild, but it would be located about 15 miles southeast of the town of Idyllwild.

 

40 years ago - 1975

Increasing property taxes was the bad news that Riverside County Deputy Tax Assessor Orval Miller delivered to Hill residents at an Idyllwild Property Owners Association meeting. His crew was reassessing property on the Hill for the first time since 1966.

 

35 years ago - 1980

The Idyllwild Lions Club made the first donation toward the building of public restrooms in downtown Idyllwild. The Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce was spearheading the fund-raising effort.

 

30 years ago - 1985

A Garner Valley group was formed, Garner Valley Citizens for Economic and Educational Common Sense, to fight the Hemet Unified School District’s plans to build a $10 million, 900-student high school on the Jim Burn site in Garner Valley.

 

25 years ago - 1990

The Coordinated Resource Management and Planning Committee suggested that Riverside County’s Waste Management Department use local wood-chipping contractors to minimize the need for pine needles and branches to be taken off the Hill, thus lightening the load for the trash hauler and cost for the county.

 

20 years ago - 1995

It was reported that the Idyllwild HELP Center ended 1994 by receiving a portion of the land it was located on as a gift from an anonymous private donor.

 

15 years ago - 2000

The Mozart Haus restaurant opened, featuring German menu items and Weltenburger, the oldest dark beer in the world.

 

10 years ago - 2005

Nancy Huber of Idyllwild won first place in the Chamber’s WinterFest Soup contest with her Bev’s Spud Soup recipe.

 

5 years ago - 2010

Guaranty Bank Manager Jeri Sue Haney announced that BBVA Compass (the company acquiring GB) had established a special Haiti earthquake disaster relief account for all GB branch locations.

 

1 year ago - 2014

The seemingly unending drought had engendered official action. On Friday, Jan. 17, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for drought conditions.