The first conservation group at Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in 1952. Town Crier founder and conservationist Ernie Maxwell is at left. File photo
The first conservation group at Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in 1952. Town Crier founder and conservationist Ernie Maxwell is at left.
File photo

65 years ago – 1951 

Television was coming to the Hill, and folks were not attending meetings as they had been. Jay Gifford, civic worker, commented at the Log Cabin, “It’s gotten that I’m afraid not to go to meetings in the evening for fear they’ll say, ‘Oh, he got television!’”

60 years ago – 1956 

Members of the government class at Desert Sun School journeyed to the Hollywood Bowl to hear President Eisenhower speak.

55 years ago – 1961 

Members of the new board named Clarence Bischof president of the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce.

• • •

A troupe from Mirisch Pictures ended an extensive stay here while they filmed the Elvis Presley film “Kid Galahad.” There had been minor weather problems but a film spokesman commented, “We have to expect some problems when we shoot summer stories in the fall or winter.”

50 years ago – 1966 

Riverside County closed its local building office because of low construction in the area.

45 years ago – 1971

Not known to be fond of cats and dogs, Emax nevertheless declared that at Thanksgiving this year he was grateful for cats because they killed rats.

40 years ago – 1976

Ex-Idyllwilder Peggy Dobler came up for a Town Crier autograph party celebrating publication of her poetry book, “Sincerely Peg.”

35 years ago – 1981 

The $3.2 million Idyllwild-area sewer project came one step closer to reality when local water officials voted to put up money for launching the project’s design phase.

30 years ago – 1986

Eminent domain was officially dropped from the proposed Idyllwild Redevelopment Plan because of opposition voiced at a Town Hall meeting.

• • •

The drilling of a horizontal well in Pine Cove was approved by the Pine Cove County Water District board.

25 years ago – 1991 

The season’s first snow on Thanksgiving Friday caused 16 vehicle collisions.

20 years ago – 1996 

Mt. San Jacinto College was going to offer 16 classes on a variety of topics, from algebra to English, at the Idyllwild-Pine Cove Community Center.

15 years ago – 2001 

A missing  local teen was found buried in a shallow grave in a wooded area of Pine Cove.

10 years ago – 2006

Several enviromental groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), have sued the U.S. Forest Service for rejecting their comments on the recently approved Forest Plans for Southern California forests – Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino.

5 years ago – 2011

The Coyote Creek segment of the San Jacinto Fault network, the most active fault network in Southern California, erupted at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 and was felt throughout much of the county. The epicenter of the 3.9 magnitude quake was 5.9 miles east of Borrego Springs.

1 year ago – 2015

With all the warnings that the approaching El Niño weather pattern and its accompanying rains will be greater than the 1997-98 rainfall, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors hasd adopted a proclamation of local emergency.

Similar Posts

  • |

    Past Tense: March 4, 2021

    70 years ago – 1951Snow plows were busy with a 2-foot snowfall. 65 years ago – 1956Chamber Membership Chair Glenn Froehlich reported that reaching the goal of 500 Chamber memberships was getting close with a current total of 394 members. 60 years ago – 1961Because of the continued absence of moisture, the Forest Service posted…

  • Past Tense: Jan. 9, 2014

    65 years ago – 1949 A cold snap brought a high of 30 degrees and a low of 7 degrees one day, freezing pipes and Mrs. Eric Holm’s breath on her coat. Emax reported that even the squirrels were shivering 60 years ago – 1954 The California Public Utilities Commission approved Idyllwild Water Company’s request…

  • Past Tense: Nov. 8, 2012

    65 years ago – 1947 The possibility of establishing a branch of the Riverside County Library in Idyllwild was being discussed. County funds were not adequate to hire a paid librarian, however, so volunteers were solicited.   60 years ago – 1952 Dick Elliott was named to head the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce. 50 years…

  • Past tense: May 28, 2015

    65 years ago – 1950 Audie Murphy’s film, “The Kid from Texas,” was playing at the Rustic Theatre. It was shot the previous year on the mountain.  60 years ago – 1955 The Froehlichs were installing a larger screen in the Rustic Theatre so Cinemascope films could be shown. 55 years ago – 1960 Leigh…