Dave Pelham, ICF Board Chairman and this month’s guest editor, met with Bob Smith, board member of the Idyllwild Area Historical Society to talk about his involvement with the Historical Society and a special project which will make much of Idyllwild’s recorded history available online.

Bob’s interest in local history and historical research stems from the discovery of old family papers belonging to his grandparents, Frank and Mabel Moote, who were early Idyllwild property owners and developers.

 The award-winning Historical Society formed and began to gather historical information on our area in 2000 and, by 2003, property had been purchased and the museum opened. In 2005, the family of Avery Field, Riverside’s most noted commercial photographer, donated his photo library to the Historical Society. These photos of old Idyllwild were digitized and restored by John Drake, adding immensely to the compilation. With the opening of the Idyllwild Area Historical Society Museum and its collections, the focus shifted from data-gathering to developing ways to display and communicate it.

Bob, along with Carolyn Levitski and a very active and productive board, has continued to explore possibilities and expand the museum’s efforts, including the building of the Archive Center in 2010, the publication of a book, Idyllwild and the High San Jacintos, which Bob authored, and a newsletter.  For more information about IAHS projects, visit the Idyllwild Area Historical Society website.