Past Tense: July 21, 2011
60 years ago – 1951
The Chamber of Commerce, working on a community recreation program, was raffling off a brand new Chevrolet to raise money for Town Hall.
55 years ago – 1956
The first tour of mountain homes was sponsored by the Idyllwild Community Church Guild. Among the tour homes were Florence Schisler’s Hi Castle overlooking the entire Strawberry Valley and C. Selden Belden’s cabin full of his Pinecraft furniture.
50 years ago – 1961
Swimming lessons were started at the Village pool at the Idyll-hof.
45 years ago – 1966
A contract was signed between the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce and Riverside County for administration of the community’s service area that had been adopted the previous December by the county Board of Supervisors.
40 years ago – 1971
Lemon lilies in bloom were being studied by Dorothy Bryant’s nature study group. At the time, Bryant was the writer of the Town Crier’s “Flora, folks & fauna” column.
35 years ago – 1976
Dr. Jonas Salk was in Idyllwild to attend a special exhibit of paintings by his wife, Francoise Gilot, at the Cedar Tree Gallery.
30 years ago – 1981
History came alive at ISOMATA’s 11th-annual “Early Music & Recorder Workshop” featuring Renaissance pageantry.
25 years ago – 1986
From Town Crier advertisements for local stores: butter for $1.69 a pound, a gallon of low-fat milk for $1.69, bananas at five pounds for $1, and a carton of cigarettes for $8.99.
20 years ago – 1991
Scholarship funds earned by the Endowment Fund of the Associates of Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts were awarded for the first time.
15 years ago – 1996
The new library, on Pine Crest Avenue, was dedicated. The Idyllwild Library had previously been located at Fern Valley Corners.
10 years ago – 2001
The Chamber of Commerce’s shuttle bus service averaged 100 riders a weekend.
5 years ago – 2006
The Caine Learning Center opened its facility on Upper Pine Crest Avenue.
1 year ago – 2010
Nineteen Idyllwild youth began their summer internships at Idyllwild businesses. The county’s Summer Work Experience Program was funded with federal stimulus money. No funding was available for the program this year.
