Robert Smith
Before our time: From Fern Valley Gardens to The Epicurian and...
One aspect of Idyllwild that helps maintain its small-village charm is the way commercial and residential activities get intermingled through both space and time....
Before Our Time: Newspapers a historic and a history source …
As my late-blooming interest in local history has deepened, I’ve become increasingly impressed with the value of old newspapers.
They preserve a contemporary record of...
Before our time: J.M.V. Pathfinders to Idyllwild Pines …
From time to time in this column, I share anecdotes illustrating the adage that in order to be preserved, history must first be reconstructed....
Before our time: Lawler Lodge …
Lawler Lodge, on Highway 243 in Dark Canyon, is one of the more obscure landmarks in our mountains. Its namesake, however, was anything but...
Before Our Time: By Robert B. Smith
With Avery Field’s photography, others saw Idyllwild …
Picture postcards are an ever-popular item in scenic areas such as Idyllwild. We certainly have had our...
Before Our Time: Before Kwikset came
You can’t commute from Fern Valley or walk about town these mild summer mornings for very long without noticing the seemingly abandoned scatter of...
Before our time: Another Mountain Center Fire — 1943 …
The fire erupted unseen in dried-out brush, and wind drove it through Mountain Center before the first fire crew arrived. As flames raced down...
Before our time: An Idyllwild institution — the Chamber of Commerce...
An Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce with 700 members? Dream on! And yet.....
Our Chamber’s recent demise piqued my curiosity about its origin. I found evidence...
Before Our Time: Idyllwild School …
Most of us with careers in education know the sense of relief that comes with the end of a school year. I suspect that...
Fond memories: A history of Idyllwild’s camps
First-time visitors to Idyllwild are likely not aware that our largest and longest-lived industry is organized camps ...