75 years ago – 1948 At long last, a suitable place was found for a mountain branch of the county library — a small building on the Fern Valley Lodge property. Volunteer librarians were being sought. 70 years ago – 1953 Sierra Club members of the rock-climbing division again tackled Tahquitz Rock. Several new routes…
75 years ago – 1948 A Christmas fire at the dump caught many firemen in their Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. Swede Pitt tramped among the the burning debris in a starched white shirt and his best pants rolled to the knees. 70 years ago – 1953 Hope Bell, librarian, reported that circulation in the local library doubled…
75 years ago – 1947A snowfall of 12 to 24 inches was believed attributable to dry ice dropped from a plane sent by Hemet Valley Flying Service and Cal Tech observers. 70 years ago – 1952C. Selden Belden, pioneer resident and furniture maker, died in Hemet. 65 years ago – 1957Fern Valley Mutual Water District…
75 years ago – 1947November had been a cold month with a low of 14 degrees. Joe McGaugh reported 10 degrees in his cow barn, but people thought he was just trying to get ice cream the easy way. 70 years ago – 1952Town Hall was jammed for the annual Christmas party that featured a…
75 years ago – 1947Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Carmen reminisced about the good old days in Idyllwild. They remembered Fern Valley as a fern-filled meadow without many trees, with cattle grazing in Round and Tahquitz valleys. 70 years ago – 1952During a major snowstorm, Ada Morlan, Chamber secretary, left an evening committee meeting. Finding no…
70 years ago – 1952Volunteers were busy finishing the interior of the Catholic Church in knotty pine. 65 years ago – 1957Celebrating Fire Protection Week, Chief Bill Price rolled trucks into the school yard to demonstrate equipment. The show ended when assisting room mothers handed out ice cream cones to all. 60 years ago –…
75 years ago – 1947Postmaster Harry Wendelken lamented, “There’s Idyllwilds all over the country, and all the mail for the other Idyllwilds comes to this station.” 70 years ago – 1952Wilma Chapman was conscientious about the change to standard time. She set her clock resolutely and hopped into bed. In the darkness of dawn, she…
70 years ago – 1952Extra game wardens were assigned to the mountains as deer season opened. A record crowd of hunters was anticipated. 65 years ago – 1957Don and Thelma Frey, Cay Long, Jim Long, Paul Voss, and Chuck and Jo Slaback completed training and qualified as ham radio operators. 60 years ago – 1962At…
65 years ago – 1957Pine Dell Estates was a new development in town, just below the village on National Forest Highway [aka Highway 243]. 60 years ago – 1962It had been 75 days since the last measurable moisture. High temperature for the week was a sizzling 96 degrees.• • •With the new Sabin oral polio…
75 years ago – 1947Fifty people gathered at Dutch Flat to witness the christening of a well for the Idyllwild Water Company. At the first gush, cameras clicked and everyone clapped.• • •Eleanor Johnson had a project underway — to turn the circle in the center of town into a village park. 70 years ago…
