As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from March 4. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from the inauguration of a U.S. President to the conclusion of a high-profile local murder trial.
1913: The Joliet Evening Herald
On March 4, 1913, the Joliet Evening Herald was dominated by a historic national transition, featuring large portraits of the new administration with the headline, “Will Guide Nation’s Destiny for the Next Four Years.” The edition detailed the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Riley Marshall in Washington, D.C. Closer to home, the paper reported on labor unrest, noting that “Coal Deliveries Not Stopped by Teamsters’ Strike,” and a local human-interest story titled “Mother Regains Custody of Son” after a dramatic legal dispute.
1961: Streator Daily Times-Press
The March 4, 1961, edition of the Streator Daily Times-Press focused on a somber conclusion to a major local legal saga. The massive headline “LIFE IN PRISON FOR WEGER” announced the verdict for Chester Weger in the Starved Rock murder case. The front page captured the “Courtroom Drama” with several photos of the defendant and legal teams. Weger was later granted parole in 2019 and died in 2025. In other news, the paper tracked local fiscal concerns with a report on “Tax Bills for Streator” showing a “Marked Increase,” and a search for a “Missing Plane” that had extended into the area.
2008: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
In 2008, the Northwest Herald led with local development frustrations, declaring “MCC stadium out of play” after officials called a proposed minor league baseball expansion a “dead issue.” The front page also highlighted the personal impact of state legislation with a feature on the “Illinois Public Smoking Ban” and how it served as an incentive for residents to quit. On the national stage, the paper tracked a tightening Democratic primary race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as they headed into decisive contests in Ohio and Texas.
2020: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
The March 4, 2020, Daily Chronicle captured a community on the cusp of significant change. The lead image showed local business owners weighing the “benefits and costs” of solar power under a “Partly Sunny” sky. However, a small sidebar titled “Health tips” offered an early, eerie foreshadowing of the coming weeks, advising readers worried about “coronavirus or similar symptoms” that the paper had them covered. Locally, the edition also addressed a “Staffing shortage” in school district D-428 regarding substitute teachers.
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