As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from May 3. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from early industrial booms to the local impact of world-changing events.
1928: Morris Daily Herald
On May 3, 1928, nature took center stage as the Morris Daily Herald reported a dramatic temperature spike with the headline “Mercury Rises to 93 Degrees.” This unseasonable heat wave followed a “chilly month” and brought much-needed warmth to growing crops, though it was accompanied by news of a tragic airplane crash in Chicago that claimed two lives. Locally, the paper celebrated community spirit with a feature on “Morris Built by Cooperation,” highlighting how collective effort helped the city thrive.
1945: Dixon Evening Telegraph
By 1945, the front page was dominated by the seismic shifts of World War II. The lead headline, “War In Europe Nearing End,” signaled the impending fall of the Third Reich, with reports detailing the “Nazis Surrender in Italy” and the suicide of Joseph Goebbels in Berlin. Amidst the global gravity, the paper still focused on the heavy toll of the conflict, noting that total American casualties since Pearl Harbor had surpassed 950,000, bringing the reality of the front lines home to Dixon readers.
2011: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
The May 3, 2011, edition of DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle captured a defining moment of the 21st century: the “Downfall of Bin Laden.” The front page detailed the precision raid in Pakistan that ended the life of the world’s most wanted terrorist. While the world reacted to the news, the local community remained focused on domestic challenges, with reports on the city council’s budget workshops and local gas stations feeling the “pinch at the pumps” due to rising fuel prices.
2011: Kane County Chronicle
On the same day in 2011, the Kane County Chronicle took a more personal approach to the news from Abbottabad. Under the headline “Ten Years Later,” the paper featured two Geneva women who had spent September 11, 2001, in prayer and were now reflecting on the closure brought by Bin Laden’s death. The edition balanced this solemn reflection with local life, reporting on a Kaneland baseball loss to rival Sycamore and promoting upcoming “Summer Fun” camps for local youth.
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