As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from May 6. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from early 20th-century labor disputes to the local impact of a global pandemic.
1913: Joliet Evening Herald
On May 6, 1913, the Joliet Evening Herald front page was dominated by local civic change and labor tensions. The lead headline, “Crowds and Flowers Mark Inauguration,” detailed the swearing-in of Mayor Harvey E. Wood amid a “riot of enthusiasm.” However, the celebratory mood was balanced by industrial strife, as the paper reported on the “Joliet Traction Men in Fight to Bar 10 Hour Law,” highlighting the ongoing struggle for labor rights in the city’s transit system.
1961: Streator Daily Times-Press
By 1961, the focus shifted to the dawn of the Space Age. The Streator Daily Times-Press featured a massive headline: “Washington Plans High Honors For Alan Shepard,” celebrating the first American in space following his successful suborbital flight. While the nation looked to the stars, the paper also grounded readers with tragic news closer to home, reporting on a deadly “Oklahoma Tornado” that claimed thirteen lives.
2011: Kane County Chronicle
In 2011, the Kane County Chronicle took a deep dive into the financial pressures facing local residents. The bold, full-width headline asked, “What’s in Your Bill?” as the paper broke down a surge in property taxes despite a significant loss in home values following the Great Recession. The edition also balanced these heavy economic topics with local pride, covering an “Upstate Clash” where Geneva’s track team secured a conference title.
2020: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
Rounding out the collection, the May 6, 2020, Daily Chronicle captured a world in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lead story, “Pritzker’s Plan,” outlined the five-phase “Restore Illinois” guidance for reopening businesses and social gatherings. The front page imagery of a masked shopper with a cart full of essentials, including elusive paper towels, serves as a poignant reminder of the “new normal” that defined the early 2020s.
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