Past Tense

75 years ago – 1948

Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce directors voted to “reforest” the San Jacinto Mountains with Sequoia Giganteas.

70 years ago – 1953

Idyllwild Beauty Shop advertised, “Fall tints for your tresses,” offering tint colors “maple red,” “oakleaf russet” and “alder grey.”

65 years ago – 1958

Dr. Max Krone was in Germany acting as director of music for the U.S. Army schools in Germany, France and Italy.

60 years ago – 1963

Chamber of Commerce membership stood at 446, of which 82 were business memberships.

55 years ago – 1968

County Administrator Robert Anderson urged Idyllwild to incorporate. 

50 years ago – 1973

Seventeen people were running for eight  water board vacancies. A Town Crier editorial commended the “public-spirited citizens” for running for positions that were “unpaid, time-consuming, often thankless jobs.”

45 years ago – 1978

After a six-month search, another physician was found for the mountain area. Dr. David H. Reid of Weston, Massachusetts, a family practitioner for more than 30 years, declared his intention to move to the Hill as soon as possible.

40 years ago – 1983

The U.S. Forest Service denied the Hemet Unified School District’s request for land next to a proposed high school in Garner Valley.

35 years ago – 1988

Nearly $2 million worth of fine cars — 25 Ferraris — were in Idyllwild when members of the Ferrari Owners Club from  Los Angeles stopped for lunch.

30 years ago – 1993

The Pine Cove Water District Board of Directors voted to form a lease agreement with the Idyllwild Lions Club for refurbishing the ballfields located at Dutch Flats that were jointly owned by the Pine Cove and Idyllwild water districts. The fields had been closed down eight years previously.

25 years ago – 1998

Local fisherman Grandpa Duncan caught a 21-pound catfish from the shore of Lake Hemet. He was on a roll, having recently caught a 23-pounder and a 20-pounder.

20 years ago – 2003

As firestorms and high winds intensified across Southern California, Southern California Edison cut off electricity to the mountain communities for more than 24 hours.

15 years ago – 2008

A California Highway Patrol officer said about 42% of traffic collisions on the Hill and 50% of fatal traffic collisions involved motorcycles that year.

10 years ago – 2013

The previous Wednesday, about 1.3 inches of rain were recorded at the Keenwild Ranger Station. This brought the total rainfall at Keenwild, since July 1, to 4.87 inches, and was nearly 1.4 inches or 40%greater than the long-term average for rainfall through October.

5 years ago – 2018

Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff was battling to keep his position against Lt. Chad Bianco.

1 year ago – 2022

The recipient of the 2022 Ernie Maxwell Community Spirit Award was biologist Jon King.