65 years ago – 1949 Forced to retire because of ill health, Postmaster Harry Wendelken announced that Rita Patton had been named acting postmaster for Idyllwild. 60 years ago – 1954 A dinner and campfire program was shaping up to celebrate the Burn the Mortgage party for Town Hall. 55 years ago –…
65 years ago – 1949 The fire chief begged eager, would-be volunteers not to jump on the fire truck when it was on the way to a fire. 60 years ago – 1954 Locals were raising funds to donate to the March of Dimes to combat an alarming increase in polio cases. 50…
65 years ago – 1949 Ernie Maxwell and Martin Aguirre headed a group to plant trout fingerlings in the back country. 60 years ago – 1954 Local residents voted in favor of zoning for Idyllwild. A new classification, R1-A, was adopted for guest cottages rented with kitchens. 55 years ago – 1959 Tahquitz…
65 years ago – 1949 Jim Wellman displayed a 140-pound mountain lion, the 30th one he had killed in the mountain region since he began trapping as a boy. 60 years ago – 1954 The Idyllwild School of Conservation and Natural Science had 130 students enrolled for the summer session. The students were constructing…
65 years ago – 1949 The Women’s Guild of the Community Presbyterian Church was raising money via bake sales for a new roof for the manse. 60 years ago – 1954 Barbara Wilson was honored at a community bridal shower at the Idyllwild Inn. Her marriage to Bud Hunt was scheduled for October. …
65 years ago – 1949 Reginald Pole, distinguished Shakespearean actor, was in Idyllwild for the summer. He was developing a cultural lecture series on the Hill. 60 years ago – 1954 A burn-the-mortgage campaign was underway to wipe out the remaining $1,500 indebtedness on Town Hall. 55 years ago – 1959 Ansel Adams, renowned photographer,…
65 years ago – 1949 Street lights came to Fern Valley Corners. 60 years ago – 1954 Members of the Riverside Community Settlement Association were the first guests to enjoy the facilities of Camp Lawler, an 80-acre estate given to the county by a Los Angeles attorney. 55 years ago – 1959 Chamber…
65 years ago – 1949 A committee was chosen to supervise building the new Presbyterian Community Church next to the manse. 60 years ago – 1954 A 25-year-old Thermal man drowned while swimming in Lake Fulmor. He was the lake’s first victim. 55 years ago – 1959 The Chamber put on a hugely…
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…
65 years ago – 1949 A public swimming pool was opened in the center of town on the site of the old Sportland. 60 years ago – 1954 Special events being planned for the Fourth of July included a Cowboy Rodeo, a Community Campfire and a Woodsman’s Breakfast. 55 years ago – 1959…
