Idyllwild Town Crier

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Idyllwild Town Crier
"Almost All the News – Part of the Time"
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Front page of the edition of November 12, 2009
TypeWeekly newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
OwnerSuzanne Avalon
Founder(s)Ernie and Betty Maxwell
PublisherIdyllwild House Publishing Co. Ltd.
EditorMelissa Diaz Hernandez
Photo editorJeff Clark
Staff writers3
FoundedNovember 1, 1946; 79 years ago (1946-11-01)
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters54391 Village Center Dr, Ste. 5, Idyllwild, CA 92549
CountryUnited States
Circulation~2100
OCLC number27263446
Websiteidyllwildtowncrier.com
Free online archivesIdyllwild Town Crier (News Library)

The Idyllwild Town Crier is a local weekly newspaper published out of Idyllwild, California. The Town Crier serves the area of the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, California. The paper has been published weekly since its founding in 1946.

History

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The newspaper published its first issue as The Town Crier on Friday, November 1, 1946.[1] The paper was founded by married couple Ernie and Betty Maxwell, a visual artist and a former Broadway dancer, who moved to the town in 1944 during a post-war boom in logging and tourism. The paper was published from their house until at least 1949.[2][3]

Ernie Maxwell continued as editor/publisher until 1957 when he sold it to devote more time to writing and cartooning. The new owners were Mark Clevenger, former editor of the Sun-Post, and I.G. Rosen, of Gilroy, who became the paper's general manager.[4] In 1972, Luther and Marilyn in Weare acquired the paper. At that time the 16-page weekly tabloid had a circulation of 2,000.[5][3] In 1977, Betty Maxwell died.[6]

In May 1978, the Weares sold the Town Crier to L.B. and Dorothy Hunsaker.[7] In May 1989, the Hunsakers sold the paper to Chronicle Publishing Company, publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle.[8][3] The Town Crier changed corporate hands in 1994 when it sold to England-based Tindle Newspaper Group.[9][3] Also in 1994, Ernie Maxwell died.[10]

Two decades later, the paper returned to private ownership when wife-and-husband Becky and Jack Clark acquired it in June 2013. Publisher Beck Clark was the paper's the longest serving employee.[11][12][3] Around 2017, the paper changed from a freesheet to a membership model.[13] In 2024, Suzanne Avalon bought the paper from the Clarks.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Library of Congress. "About Town crier. ([Idyllwild, Calif.]) 1946–1957". Chronicling America. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  2. ^ Smith, Robert B. (2009). Idyllwild and the high San Jacintos. San Francisco, CA: Arcadia Pub. pp. 111, 115. ISBN 978-0-7385-5985-8. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e Smith, Marshall (November 1, 2016). "Town Crier celebrates its 70th". Idyllwild Town Crier. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  4. ^ "Sun-Post News Editor Buys Idyllwild "Town Crier," Distinctive Hill Paper". The San Clemente Post. San Clemente, California. September 16, 1957. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Idyllwild Paper Sold". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. January 29, 1972. p. 16.
  6. ^ Smith, Bob (May 3, 2012). "Before Our Time: Betty Maxwell …". Idyllwild Town Crier. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  7. ^ Crier, Idyllwild Town (November 17, 2016). "Past Tense: November 17, 2016 • Idyllwild Town Crier". Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  8. ^ "San Francisco chain buys Idyllwild paper". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. April 7, 1989. p. 51.
  9. ^ "Newsman's knighthood". The Daily Echo. Bournemouth, England. June 13, 1994. p. 15.
  10. ^ Clark, Becky (June 20, 2011). "Emax, art and Idyllwild". Idyllwild Town Crier. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "Town Crier office moving: Clarks buy paper". Idyllwild Town Crier. May 29, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  12. ^ "Clarks to make changes to newspaper". Idyllwild Town Crier. June 18, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  13. ^ Newell, Shane (June 24, 2019). "Membership model sustains 73-year-old publication". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. A1.
  14. ^ "Clarks turn over Town Crier ownership". Idyllwild Town Crier. February 6, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
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