11th Annual Idyllwild Home Tour Saturday
Each year, the Idyllwild Area Historical Society (IAHS) showcases five dwellings …
Author: Smith, Bob
Before Our Time: How communities evolve
The current ferment about where and how to manage public recreation in Idyllwild calls to mind a place where Hill folk gathered for amusement in earlier times. I speak of the land now occupied by “The Center of Idyllwild,” better know locally as The Fort. If we go back to 1904, the site was little…
Before Our Time: Paradise, roads, traffic, then serenity …
One of the joys of living in Idyllwild is our freedom from the usual trend of modern resort towns toward suburban sprawl and congestion. I take special pleasure in discovering spots that have reverted to an earlier, more primitive condition. One such place is the recently dedicated Roe Memorial Grove on the Idyllwild Arts campus….
The Hill at the time of the Lemon Lily
As the end of the 19th century approached, Strawberry Valley (“Idyllwild” didn’t officially exist until 1901) was a far different place from anything we can readily picture today.
Before Our Time: 1946: The beginning …
The time has come to speak of Ernest Maxwell. In my reading of Idyllwild’s history, he stands among three visionaries from successive generations, each a new arrival here, who emerge as shapers of the village we know today. In 1889, observing the horde of summer campers attracted to Strawberry Valley after the road from Hemet…
Our trail system: A priceless legacy
The San Jacinto Mountains are a hiker’s paradise, with more than 200 miles of trail to explore. We owe a debt to many for pioneering and developing such a superb resource …