75 years ago – 1947
Fred Patton revealed he was smuggled into this area. “Back in 1895,” he recalled, “a man stole me from my folks up in Sonoma County. He was interested in gold mining over by Kenworthy and he hijacked me along to help him.” The mining experience didn’t amount to much, but Fred stayed on.
• • •
Bill Poates took precautions before they started shingling. According to the story, he flattened wife Liane to the roof with four large nails pegged through her overalls.
70 years ago – 1952
The new Rustic Theatre finally opened. First attraction was “Red Mountain,” starring Alan Ladd and Lizabeth Scott. “Skirts Ahoy,” with Esther Williams, was to follow.
• • •
Lois Roy experimented with some manzanita pie. It turned out OK. Tasted a little like gooseberry.
65 years ago – 1957
Deputies were investigating a mysterious dynamiting incident that occurred at 3:30 a.m. Evidence showed that someone set off some dynamite among boulders in Strawberry Creek near Peak and Pine Camp. It shook up the town.
60 years ago – 1962
The county asked local residents to place numbers on their houses.
• • •
Mr. and Mrs. Rod Welch announced the opening of the first unit of their Alandale Pines subdivision.
55 years ago – 1967
Celia Bonney was chosen Miss Idyllwild.
50 years ago – 1972
Giena Gooding, Janet McCaghren and Peggy Sims were winners of the Idyllwild School scholarships.
• • •
Gene Price had the fullest beard and Dennis Veazie the sparsest in the Bear Flag Festival contest.
45 years ago – 1977
Five graduating high-school students received a record $2,400 in awards from the Idyllwild Scholarship Fund at a Hemet High School awards assembly. The awards went to Marcus Clark, Steve Friemoth, Jeff Jones, Brett Miller and Anne Weverka.
35 years ago – 1987
Lilburn Swisher Barksdale, founder of the Barksdale Foundation, an organization helping individuals develop greater self-esteem, died at Hemet Valley Hospital.
30 years ago – 1992
The Idyllwild Lions Club and the whole town were gearing up for the third-annual Timber Fest.
25 years ago – 1997
Major construction was going on at Idyllwild Arts Academy. The school broke ground for the Rena and George Pierson Hall. The dormitory was designed to hold 80 students.
20 years ago – 2002
Locals carried signs around the village center calling the Adventure Pass a “Fee-Asco” as part of the National Day of Protest Rally Against the U.S. Forest Service’s Adventure Pass.
15 years ago – 2007
The Chamber of Commerce secured a bus, Beulah, to use for moving people around town. A licensed driver was still being recruited.
10 years ago – 2012
The playground opened after volunteers came together for five days to build it, on a scale of effort, integration and cooperation not seen since the community built Town Hall in 1946, in old-fashioned barn-raising fashion.
5 years ago – 2017
The California Department of Transportation began repairing a sinkhole and other damaged areas to Highway 243 near Idyllwild-Pine Cove and Poppet Flats. Water runoff from snow and rain this past winter damaged a culvert and eroded slopes along the highway. Caltrans’ director issued a $1.5 million order to secure permits with local agencies to make repairs.
1 year ago – 2021
Following the excessive and hazardous display of illegal fireworks in 2020, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors launched a multi-agency fireworks education and enforcement campaign to curb the dangerous and illegal activity.
