Ray Fobes and his stage, the first stage line operating from the old Hotel Hemet to Idyllwild. Called the “Owl” (also known as the “Flyer”), painted white and drawn by four matched horses, the stage made its first run to Idyllwild and Lake Hemet in 1907. Fobes died in 1972 at age 92 and is buried in the San Jacinto Valley Cemetery. File photo
FILE PHOTO

75 years ago - 1947
A snowfall of 12 to 24 inches was believed attributable to dry ice dropped from a plane sent by Hemet Valley Flying Service and Cal Tech observers.

70 years ago - 1952
C. Selden Belden, pioneer resident and furniture maker, died in Hemet.

65 years ago - 1957
Fern Valley Mutual Water District stockholders voted approvals of transitioning to a state water district.

60 years ago - 1962
A second tramway from Long Valley to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto was under consideration by the Winter Park Authority.

55 years ago - 1967
The Koffee Kup was purhased by Welch Industries from the Idyllwild All-Year Resort Company.

50 years ago - 1972
Only 17 members attended the special meeting of the Pine Cove Property Owners Association. Because the meeting lacked a quorum for conduct of business, President Don Ray changed the meeting to a board meeting.

45 years ago - 1977
Riverside County Flood Control District allotted $5,000 to curb beetles in the mountain area’s private and public forest lands.

40 years ago - 1982
Principal Lew Leih introduced the event at the Hamilton Elementary School Christmas Program.

35 years ago - 1987
American Legion Post 800 hosted the Big Sleep Inn on New Year’s Eve. It included dinner, dancing and prizes. It encouraged sleeping bags and served breakfast at 3 a.m. The bar opened at 6 a.m.

30 years ago - 1992
Local resident Josh Bischof, 15, returned from a month-long trip to Latvia and Austria for his first international luge competition.

25 years ago - 1997
An 11-year-old boy who unwittingly brought an unloaded .45 caliber handgun to Idyllwild School was one of three boys involved in the burglary of an Idyllwild cabin.

20 years ago - 2002
Gas Food & Lodging featuring Lenny Hansell, guitar, Scott Fulton, drums, and Bill Plummer, bass, produced a New Years Eve Dance Concert at the Creek House in Fern Valley.

15 years ago - 2007
“Cosmic Radio,” a full-length movie that prominently featured Idyllwild, premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It was written and directed by local Steven Savage.

10 years ago - 2012
The Hemet Unified School District’s principal of the year was Idyllwild School’s Matt Kraemer.

5 years ago - 2017
Plant Food Supper Club was moving from Strawberry Creek Plaza to its new location near Suburban Propane, according to owner Kelly Johnston-Gibson. She was taking the place of Uncle B’s BBQ.

1 year ago - 2021
Jerry Holldber, who had led the Pine Cove Water District as general manager for about 35 years, was retiring Dec. 31.