Mothers of fifth- and sixth-grade girls were treated to a tea and fashion show at Idyllwild School in May of 1975. Shown are three of the girls who participated. From left, Rene Grassi, Carol Barksdale and Sherry Carter. file photo

65 years ago – 1952
Dr. M.M. Null announced that he had hundreds of small sequoias to be given to residents and property owners free of charge. The little redwoods were grown for planting in the community.

60 years ago – 1957
Clarence Bischof purchased the San Jacinto Lumber Yard.

55 years ago – 1962
Paramount Picture’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” starring Audrey Hepburn, was showing at the Rustic Theatre.

50 years ago – 1967
A weekend storm brought 4 inches of snow — the first moisture in more than a month.
• • •
Pine Cove’s fire company was proud of its newly acquired Seagrave pumper, capacity 180 gallons per minute.

45 years ago – 1972
In a meeting of the Idyllwild Fire Protection District’s Board of Commissioners, a citizens’ group concerned with rising costs and high taxes raised the question of transferring local fire protection to the county.

40 years ago – 1977
Ward Johnson made the trip from Idyllwild to San Jacinto and back to Idyllwild, all on a bicycle.

35 years ago – 1982
Volunteers from the California Conservation Corps and the Idyllwild Izaak Walton League planted about 750 oak seedlings in the Mountain Center burn area. Under the direction of Tom Roberts of the U.S. Forest Service, the volunteers planted several groves of canyon and black oaks.

30 years ago – 1987
Idyllwild resident Glen “Mac” McWilliams, a 25-year veteran with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, was promoted to a new position in the Youth Evaluation Service.

15 years ago – 2002
Construction at Idyll-wild School came to a stand still after the Hemet Unified School District Governing Board of Trustees fired the project’s general contractor, Old Hickory Construction, accusing the firm of inadequate progress and failing to pay its subcontractors.

10 years ago – 2007
St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated at the American Legion Post 800 with a corned beef and cabbage dinner.

5 years ago – 2012
An escalation of local crime led the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to schedule a community meeting.

1 year ago – 2016
The Idyllwild School Youth Grantmakers awarded $3,000 to three separate groups. It was the fourth-consecutive year that a group of students made philanthropic decisions to the benefit of the community and student life.

Similar Posts

  • |

    Past Tense: Dec. 13, 2018

    70 years ago – 1948 “Ma’s New Husband,” the first production of the Mountain Players, was a big hit. Evie Kretsinger and Leigh Dutton headed the cast. 65 years ago – 1953 Boxes were placed in village stores for gifts of food and clothing for American Indians on the Santa Rosa reservation. 60 years ago…

  • Past Tense: Sept. 20, 2012

    60 years ago – 1952 Enrollment when Idyllwild Elementary School opened in the fall was 72 students.   55 years ago – 1957 Deer season opened on a quiet note with 68 bucks taken on the first weekend. District Ranger John Gillman reported the opener was one of the quietest on the Forest Service record….

  • Past Tense: March 8, 2012

    55 years ago – 1957 The Christian Science Society moved into a new location at Cedar and River drives, opposite Town Hall. 50 years ago – 1962 Under the weight of the heavy snow load, Town Hall’s roofed front porch collapsed. 45 years ago – 1967 Five students from Idyllwild were among Hemet High School…

  • Past tense: July 3, 2014

    65 years ago – 1949 Everyone was invited to the dedication ceremonies for the Atwater Kent Bowl on the grounds of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation.   60 years ago – 1954 The Jerry Johnson family was happily welcoming Air Force man Jim Johnson home to the mountains on furlough.   55 years ago – 1959…

  • Past Tense: April 18, 2013

    65 years ago – 1948 The Town Crier reported that Editor Ernie Maxwell’s cat had five new kittens. 60 years ago – 1953 Sunset magazine featured an article about Idyllwild. 55 years ago – 1958 Actor David Niven stopped at Doro’s Market and visited for a while. 50 years ago – 1963 Five Orange County…