As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from February 23. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from early 20th-century crime waves and the global shift of the 1980s to modern community debates.

1911: The Joliet Evening Herald

The Joliet Evening Herald cover: Feb. 23, 1911 Feb 23, 1911 Joliet Evening Herald (Joliet, Illinois) Newspapers.com

On February 23, 1911, the Joliet Evening Herald led with a sensational crime report: “Pair of Robbers Raid Five Homes in Seventh Ward.” The front page also featured a striking political cartoon titled “And the Dove is Undisturbed,” depicting global powers like Russia, Japan, and China eyeing a sleeping figure representing peace. Other headlines touched on local labor and safety, including a “Wealthy Farmer Hurt in Elevator Accident.”

1980: The Daily Times-Press (Streator)

The Daily Times-Press cover: Feb. 23, 1980 Feb 23, 1980 The Times (Streator, Illinois) Newspapers.com

By February 23, 1980, the front page of Streator’s Daily Times-Press was dominated by a historic sporting triumph: “U.S. hockey team upsets Soviets.” This “Miracle on Ice” coverage shared space with pressing local labor issues, as the city reached a “Second agreement” with its firefighters to end a strike. The page also reflected global tensions with reports on “Protester casualties” in Afghanistan and economic shifts as “Staple prices decline” in international markets.

1988: The Northwest Herald

Northwest Herald cover: Feb. 23, 1988 Feb 23, 1988 Northwest Herald (Woodstock, Illinois) Newspapers.com

In 1988, the Northwest Herald featured a sobering headline: “AIDS is here.” The report detailed the first confirmed cases of the disease in McHenry County, marking a turning point in local public health awareness. The edition balanced this heavy news with community-driven stories, such as a “Pink petition” signed by 15,000 residents to bring Bruce Springsteen to Rockford and a “Lake pact sunk” regarding water rights in Crystal Lake.

2010: The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)

The Daily Chronicle cover for Feb. 23, 2010 Feb 23, 2010 The Daily Chronicle (De Kalb, Illinois) Newspapers.com

The February 23, 2010, edition of DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle focused on local government transparency with the headline “Landfill? No comment.” The story followed the DeKalb County Board’s silence regarding a proposed landfill expansion. In a more uplifting lead, the paper highlighted a “real life-saver”—an NIU student who donated bone marrow. Sports fans also had reason to cheer as “Hinckley-Big Rock Heads Back to State” for girls basketball.