Upper: Scene of Idyllwild’s main business district in about 1946. Lower: Same scene in 1988 shows removal of trees and widening of Highway 243. As the years pass, the forest attracts more day-users, leading some foresters to refer to the area as an “urban forest.” Photos from “Pictorial History of the San Jacinto Mountains,” published by Ernie Maxwell

70 years ago - 1950
County road crews were widening Circle Drive so snow could be pushed back further.
65 years ago - 1955
Locals were told to “stop shoveling and enjoy it” on Idyllwild sledding day at the Halona Lodge hill.
60 years ago - 1960
The Lions Club unfurled its new American flag, believed to be the first flag on the Hill to show all 50 stars.
55 years ago - 1965
Work started on a new tract, divided into 24 lots, located at Tollgate and Canyon Drive. The parcel of land had been owned by former residents Admiral and Mrs. John McKinney and at one time was part of the old Idyllwild golf course.
50 years ago - 1970
Locals were invited to watch the color TV at Welch’s Carriage Inn to see Jon Gnagy, known as America’s television art teacher, give painting lessons. Gnagy was an Idyllwild resident.
45 years ago - 1975
A children’s playground was installed in a corner of Eleanor Park by a crew of volunteers.
40 years ago - 1980
The Goldfarbs were getting ready for a slew of family celebrations with three members having birthdays, including Mel on Jan. 31. Also, Mel and Dottie would celebrate their wedding anniversary on Feb. 8.
35 years ago - 1985
For a dollar at Fairway Supermarket, shoppers could choose 5 pounds of bananas, 4 pounds of carrots, or 6 pounds of onions.
30 years ago - 1990
On the way back to Idyllwild after rescuing two men stranded overnight on Santa Rosa Peak after their car slid off Highway 74 near Pinyon, Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU) team members came across a snow-covered, seemingly abandoned car with emergency lights flashing. Upon investigation, the RMRU team found two men, who had run out of gas eight hours earlier, in the first stages of hypothermia.
25 years ago - 1995
Idyllwild Water District was trying to locate the source of an enormous water loss of about 50 gallons per minute. Residents were helping out by calling in found leaks, but the big one was still to be discovered.
20 years ago - 2000
Idyllwild’s history came alive at Idyllwild Arts Academy when a panel of long-time Hill residents shared their memories of the early days of Idyllwild. Some of the long-timers who spoke at the Idyllwild History Alive II event were Pat Boss, Bud Hunt, Mary Sigworth, Mary Arnaiz, Keith Froehlich, Sparky Allert and George Kretsinger.
15 years ago - 2005
Idyllwild Community Recreation Council (ICRC) director Pete Capparelli and county officials discussed ICRC taking over management of Idyllwild recreation activities from the Chamber of Commerce.
10 years ago - 2010
Rain, snow and wind all visited the Hill the prior week. A power outage occurred, but residents incurred minimal suffering compared to the December 2008 storm. By the weekend, visitors from the desert, Hemet and Temecula were winding their way here to play in the local winter wonderland.
5 years ago - 2015
Out of step with local water and fire districts, County Service Area 38 (Pine Cove) was considering lowering and, possibly, eliminating its parcel fee.
1 year ago - 2019
Michael Creighton was the new general manager for the Idyllwild Water District (IWD). In the late 1970s, he handled wastewater testing for IWD. Living in Idyllwild, he joined the board in 1983 and left 14 years later in 1997. While on the board, he served as president for five years.