Past Tense: Jan. 10, 2013

65 years ago – 1948
At the Idyllwild Dairy, Liz, a 7-year-old Guernsey, hit a maximum yield of 11 gallons of milk per day.

60 years ago – 1953
A single-engine Navy Sky Raider crashed into the mountain, killing its pilot. The plane was one of four flying a routine night flight. It became separated from the others and plunged into the canyon near South Fork.

55 years ago – 1958
Harry James reported discovery of a 15-foot pictograph in the Black Mountain region. He thought it might have been a ceremonial site used by Mountain Cahuillas.

50 years ago – 1963
The Riverside County Boy Scout Council sent more than 100 boys and elders to camp in the snow in Skunk Cabbage Meadow on a cold weather weekend outing in the Wild Area.

40 years ago – 1973
Gertrude Millikan called the fire department for help. Then, Jim Johnson happened to stop by and solved the problem. The snake under her sofa was a rubber one, left by mischievous grandchildren.

35 years ago – 1978
California Highway Patrol officials reported that seven people died on local mountain roads in 1977 — a substantial increase from no reported traffic-related deaths in 1976. Most of the deaths were attributed to drivers exceeding the speed limit.

30 years ago – 1983
When a dead, 85-foot pine tree was cut down in Fern Valley, Southern California Edison crews had to put up a utility pole to reconnect power lines and a street lamp light that had been attached to the tree. But when crews were drilling a hole for the pole they hit a water line, causing a gusher.

20 years ago – 1993
Strawberry Creek was turned into a roaring rapid and the pedestrian bridge at the Highway 243 Strawberry Creek Bridge replacement project was washed away due to several days of heavy rain.

15 years ago – 1998
It was announced that two gifts totaling $20,000 had almost doubled the Idyllwild Community Fund’s invested capital. The fund, established in 1996 with an anonymous $10,000 gift, was set up to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations serving the community.

10 years ago – 2003
About 65 peace activists gathered at the Tree Monument to protest a possible war with Iraq.

1 year ago – 2012
The Lawler Fire, which started Jan. 8, burned about 14 acres within the San Jacinto Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest near the area of Eagles Nest.