As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from April 20. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from the tension of the World Wars to tragic domestic milestones that shook the nation and our local communities.
1928: Morris Daily Herald
On April 20, 1928, the Morris Daily Herald featured a hopeful lead headline, “Parties Gather in Harmony,” detailing a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation at a local political banquet. The page also provided a first look at international aviation history with a “First Picture of German Plane” regarding the trans-Atlantic flight of the Bremen. Locally, the community was focused on progress, as teams prepared to launch a “Drive for New Hotel in Morris.”
1945: Streator Daily Times-Press
By 1945, the world was on the brink of monumental change. The Streator Daily Times-Press blared the historic headline “Russians at Berlin Gates,” signaling the approaching end of World War II in Europe. Simultaneously, the paper tracked the Pacific theater with reports on the push toward Okinawa. Closer to home, the news was more somber, reporting a “Plane Crash” in Texas that claimed 25 lives, including several Army transport personnel.
1993: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
The April 20, 1993, edition of the Northwest Herald captured the horrifying conclusion of a national standoff with the headline “Cult standoff ends in flames.” The report detailed the deaths of 86 people at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Locally, the paper balanced this heavy news with community-focused stories, including a “Wary eyes watch water” report on rising flood levels in McHenry County and a feature on an architect’s plan to save a historic school in Marengo.
1995: The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb)
Exactly two years later, the April 20, 1995, Daily Chronicle was dominated by the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. Under the somber headline “Day of terror,” the paper provided heartbreaking details of the search for survivors at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The local impact was immediate, as the edition detailed how “Local law enforcement tightens security” at the DeKalb County Courthouse in response to the national tragedy.
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