70 years ago – 1950
Lora Steere, nationally known sculptress, conducted the first class at the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (now Idyllwild Arts Academy).

65 years ago – 1955
With the closing of the Camp of Creative Living, the Rev. Muriel Haskell prepared for the opening of a spiritual retreat, the adult program of the Camp of Creative Living.

60 years ago – 1960
A new business called Louise’s Antique Shop opened on the Hill at Stonewood, selling furniture, fine china, art glass and Early American and collector’s items.

55 years ago – 1965
During the past fiscal year, fire loss — $5,000 — in the Idyllwild Fire Protection District was the lowest figure since 1959 when fire losses recorded only $2,717.

50 years ago – 1970
The state Senate unanimously approved a resolution urging the federal government to take immediate action to preserve Garner Valley as open space.

45 years ago – 1975
A new law called the Child Health and Disability Prevention Program became effective, requiring that all children entering the first grade present their school district with certification of a prescribed series of health tests.

40 years ago – 1980
A record $304,927,415 countywide General Fund budget was adopted by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. The county parks departments were the hardest hit.

35 years ago – 1985
A five-year master plan for growth of the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (now Idyllwild Arts Academy) was approved by the Board of Governors of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation.

30 years ago – 1990
The Idyllwild Rotary Club was sponsoring the first Open Golf Tournament at the Quail Ranch Country Club in San Jacinto to benefit the Idyllwild Mountain Rescue Team.

25 years ago – 1995
A Forest Restoration Program designed by the Coordinated Resource Management and Planning group was ready to go public. Some of the goals of this program were to prevent catastrophic fire, to strengthen a local, sustainable, forest-based economy and to enrich endangered species habitat.

20 years ago – 2000
Idyllwild Arts’ founder Bee Krone died at the Village Health Care Center while the campus was dedicating the Max and Bee Krone Library.

15 years ago – 2005
The Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce greenlighted the Hill’s inaugural Charles Dickens Festival — A Victorian Christmas in Idyllwild. “The smell of roasting chestnuts and the sound of carolers” were to be enjoyed all along North Circle Drive.

10 years ago – 2010
The 2010 Standardized Testing and Reporting program scores were released. Idyllwild School’s overall results continued to improve. Based on the STAR results, Principal Matt Kraemer estimated Idyllwild’s Academic Performance Index would increase by 3 points to 843.

5 years ago – 2015
The Mountain Disaster Preparedness group urged Hill residents to prepare for a significantly wet fall and winter. The National Weather Service forecast that a major El Niño was to arrive in fall 2015 and continue to impact local weather through spring 2016.

1 year ago – 2019
Southern California Edison used helicopters to identify weak spots in its distribution system, which could not be detected from the ground.