65 years ago - 1956
Idyllwild School registered 90 youngsters in kindergarten to seventh grades. The prior week, 290 students attended the first day of the new school year.
60 years ago - 1961
Tahquitz Lake Estates announced the opening of a tract on the Dutch Flat property and near Foster Lake. Lots were priced at $1,965.
55 years ago - 1966
Pine Cove residents, with the help of then-county Supervisor Floyd McCall, were seeking state funds for a paid two-man fire department because the local tax base was insufficient to cover the projected cost of $20,000 to $25,000. Meanwhile, volunteer firefighters carried on.
50 years ago - 1971
Some local real estate being advertised: a three-bedroom home with a fireplace and large lot for $17,950; a one-room cabin with fireplace on 4.5 acres for $10,900. If you were a renter: a three-bedroom, two-bath furnished house, pets and kids OK, for $150 per month.
45 years ago - 1976
Idyllwild had a new church group when the Chapel in the Pines Christian Fellowship started holding services at Idyllwild Pines Camp. The church is now headquartered in Mountain Center.
40 years ago - 1981
The Center Fire in Mountain Center jumped back and forth across Highway 74 many times, threatening more than a dozen local homes and businesses. Eventually, it destroyed more than 1,700 acres and cost $1 million to suppress. Investigators blamed the fire on a boy playing with matches.
35 years ago - 1986
About 450 people attended the 10th-annual Garner Valley Volunteer Fire Company 53 barbecue.
30 years ago - 1991
Bulldozers started tearing apart the parking lot in the center of town as work began on a commercial complex site that came to be known as “The Fort.”
25 years ago - 1996
Becky Clark, who started at the Idyllwild Town Crier as a night-shift typesetter a dozen years before, was named publisher and editor of the newspaper. She retired in November 2009. In June 2013, she and her husband Jack Clark, purchased the paper, regaining the title of editor and now co-publisher.
20 years ago - 2001
Idyllwild resident Michael Rider, professional actor and director, was directing “Romeo and Juliet” at the Ramona Bowl. Playing the role of Lord Capulet was the late Bob Beck, local resident and longtime actor, perhaps best known for his role in commericals as the Marlboro and Camel man.
15 years ago - 2006
Over the course of a week, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department removed more than 20,000 marijuana plants from the local mountains. The market value was estimated between $40 million to $100 million.
10 years ago - 2011
Thunderstorms failed to dampen the festivities of the 18th-annual Jazz in the Pines. Despite the summer outburst Saturday and light showers Sunday, visitors, volunteers and vendors all had another remarkable weekend of music and merriment.
5 years ago - 2016
A horse and rider tumbled into a deep and steep ravine in the Apple Canyon area. While the rider was able to walk out, the horse was trapped in the ravine and was rescued after two days.
1 year ago - 2020
The Idyllwild Help Center has been the consistent go-to for those who need assistance. The thrift store helped furnish homes and uplift spirits without breaking the bank. During tough COVID times, the Help Center continued to adapt in order to be of service in the safest way possible. Julia Ledesma, Idyllwild Help Center store manager, decided to create an online store.
