Past Tense: March 26, 2020

70 years ago – 1950
The Idyllwild Inn was host to 56 students from all over the world. They were members of the Visiting International Students Association sponsored by Rotary International.
65 years ago – 1955
The Rustic Theatre was showing “White Christmas,” starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney.
60 years ago – 1960
A 45-foot fir tree was being prepared for removal from a county road right-of-way in Pine Cove to be relocated to the center of Idyllwild, where it was to serve as a community Christmas tree.
55 years ago – 1965
One of Idyllwild’s older resort properties, the Hillbilly Lodge, was sold by Phil and Dorothy Beggs to Ed and Dorothy Stacy of Los Angeles.
50 years ago – 1970
A conditional use permit for the development of a mobile home park at the Baldy Mountain Ranch was issued by the county.
45 years ago – 1975
More than 300 people attended the Firemen’s Association spaghetti dinner. Profits went to the Edna Price Memorial Fund to purchase rescue equipment for the fire department.
40 years ago – 1980
The first 80 of 2,000 goats were delivered to the Forest Service. They were to be herded to munch their way up and down the fuelbreaks near Bee Canyon. The goats were part of a pilot program to find a more cost-effective and safer way than manpower and pesticides to clear fuels.
35 years ago – 1985
Final plans were being made for the Chamber’s Easter activities. The festivities included a parade from Fern Valley Corners to Eleanor Park, followed by the happy hat and decorated bike contests.
30 years ago – 1990
Many town groups participated in the Great Mountain, Pass and Valley Cleanup effort sponsored by Riverside County Third District Supervisor Kay Ceniceros.
25 years ago – 1995
The Pine Cove Shell station advertised regular gas at $1.299 per gallon.
20 years ago – 2000
Idyllwild’s first cellular phone tower was up and running with AT&T transmission from a tower on Pine Cove Water District property.
15 years ago – 2005
Two Idyllwild Arts Academy students, Anila Mazhary and Mimi Zhang, were named as finalists in the annual Spotlight Awards conducted by the Music Center of Los Angeles, considered to be one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious high school performing arts competitions.
10 years ago – 2010
Discussion of a proposed Idyllwild Commercial Core Historic Preservation District drew 50 people, including 25 owners of properties within the proposed historic corridor, to a community meeting at Town Hall.
5 years ago – 2015
Local crime had fallen since the previous year, despite recent break-ins, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Waters. He and Hemet Station Capt. Ray Woods told the community, at a Town Hall meeting, to call and report anything strange or unusual.
1 year ago – 2019
The Idyllwild Garden Club had its first meeting of the year at noon at the Community Church followed by a tree-pruning demonstration at the Idyllwild Area Historical Society garden.