As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from March 22. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from the resolution of local tax mysteries to the gravity of global conflicts and modern public health crises.
1928: Streator Daily Times-Press
On March 22, 1928, the Streator Daily Times-Press led with a major local victory: “La Salle County Tax Levy Riddle is Solved,” granting the county clerk the power to extend rates for highway purposes. The front page was packed with high-stakes drama, including the investigation into the “Oil Scandal” involving Albert B. Fall and the chilling report of a “Boy Near Death” following an automobile accident in Old Varna.
1943: Woodstock Daily Sentinel
By 1943, the front page was dominated by the realities of World War II. The bold, oversized headline “BAN BUTTER AND LARD SALES” announced a week-long freeze to prepare for new rationing rules. Amidst the home-front sacrifice, the paper shared a touch of local pride with a profile of a “Survivor of Lady Lex” and news of Navy and Army testing in local schools, illustrating how deeply the war effort permeated McHenry County.
2003: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
The March 22, 2003, edition of the Saturday Chronicle captured a world in the midst of “Shock and Awe.” The headline “Bombs hammer Baghdad” sat above a haunting photo of the Iraqi capital illuminated by explosions. Locally, the paper remained rooted in community life, featuring a “Newcomer challenges Sycamore alderman” and a heartwarming spread on a fifth-grade “Invention Convention” at South Prairie School.
2020: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
In 2020, the focus shifted to a different kind of global crisis. The Northwest Herald featured a stark image of an empty Spring Hill Mall under the headline “SURVIVING THE SHUTDOWN.” The page detailed the uncertainty of area stores’ futures, the Governor’s “call to action” for retired healthcare workers, and the staggering reality of thousands filing for unemployment as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
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