70 years ago – 1952
The Kretsingers wrote from Nebraska, very homesick for Idyllwild.
• • •
The congregation of the Community Church accepted Rev. Donald D. Warner’s resignation.

65 years ago – 1957
A well-organized search party covered a great deal of rough country between the Stone Creek and Pine Cove areas. They found a lost boy, Timothy O’Shaughnessy, 8, of Hemet. He had been lost since 3:30 p.m. and was found at 1:55 a.m. by two Banning sheriff’s reserves.

60 years ago – 1962
Logging operations started in May Valley to recover more than a million board-feet of timber in an area badly infected by bark beetles. The Big Bear Timber Company received the contract to clear the forest of infected and susceptible trees.

55 years ago – 1967
The Idyllwild dump was closed on Sundays, and there were lots of objections around town.

50 years ago – 1972
As the Idyllwild Water District declared a water emergency and passed an ordinance limiting consumption, Ernie Haucke donned his American Indian suit and performed a rain dance.

45 years ago – 1977
Just four days after the official spring arrival, Idyllwild received its biggest snow of the season. At the County Park, the T.C.’s weatherman, Rich Dulaney, measured 17 inches of snow.

40 years ago – 1982
A six-day storm during the last official days of winter left about 2 feet of snow and added 5.06 inches of moisture in Idyllwild. About 2,000 Hill residents were without power for various amounts of time during the storm.

35 years ago – 1987
Four Idyllwild parents attended a Hemet Unified School District meeting to find a solution to the dangerous nature of dropping off and picking up students at Idyllwild Elementary School. They felt the school needed adult crossing guards and more adequate parking areas for parents and school staff.

30 years ago – 1992
Several residents were protesting Caltrans’ proposed removal of three trees. The trees had to be removed in order to replace and widen the Highway 243 bridge over Strawberry Creek.

25 years ago – 1997
“Bye Bye Birdie,” Idyllwild School’s spring musical, was a great success. The main characters were Nick Carratello, Natasha Macias, Anna Gioeli, Justin Holmes and Mandy Cole.

20 years ago – 2002
The three Hill water districts voted to recommend that the San Jacinto Mountain Area Water Study Agency take on the task to create a water management plan in the face of worsening drought.

15 years ago – 2007
The results of several community meetings were released in a document called “Community Visioning Meetings Report.” In the document, the Idyllwild Community Center (ICC) steering committee explained the process used to survey the community for suggestions for programs and facilities to be incorporated into the ICC.

10 years ago – 2012
A sheriff’s raid at a home on Highway 243 near Idyllwild School netted two drug-related arrests.

5 years ago – 2017
The state agreed to provide funding for the Idyllwild Chevron underground storage-tank project.

1 year ago – 2021
Graham and Gail Sutherland purchased The Rustic Theatre, now renamed The Rustic Theatre and Entertainment Center, Oct. 24, 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, the theater was unable to open to show movies.