As Shaw Media commemorates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from May 19. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from catastrophic natural events to shifting local economies and national political tensions.
1910: Joliet Evening Herald
On May 19, 1910, the Joliet Evening Herald led with a mix of cosmic anxiety and local intrigue. The main headline, “Comet Dashes Through Space; Misses Earth?”, captured the global fascination and relief surrounding Halley’s Comet. Closer to home, the front page reported on a daring prison break (“Convict Makes Escape From ‘Pen’ Quarry”) and a sensational local incident involving an automobile accident (“Maddened by Auto; Horses Kill Driver”).
1980: The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb)
The May 19, 1980, edition of DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle was dominated by historic, earth-shaking news. The bottom half of the page featured a massive plume of ash with the urgent headline “Deadly volcano explodes,” capturing the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic Mount St. Helens eruption. Nationally, the paper led with civil unrest in Florida (“Police regain control in riot-torn Miami”), while locally, it celebrated the opening of a new recreational milestone (“Great Western Trail open”).
1998: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
In 1998, the Northwest Herald focused heavily on rapid suburban development and its impact on the community. The centerpiece featured a massive construction project under the headline “Sunroofs: Sun City will bring 5,000 homes; Is Huntley ready for it all?” The page also balanced pocketbook issues, noting that “District 47 lunches to cost more,” alongside corporate legal drama as the U.S. government took aim at a tech giant with “‘Net providers: Microsoft deserves suit.”
2020: The Times (Ottawa)
Rounding out the collection, the May 19, 2020, edition of The Times showcased a community battling the elements. The striking, full-color front page featured a flooded park and geese swimming past a basketball hoop under the bold headline “WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE,” detailing voluntary evacuations in Utica as the Fox and Illinois rivers surged. The sidebar also captured the unique uncertainty of the era, questioning the future of high school sports during the pandemic.
:quality(70)/author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/shawmedia/59fc2deb-4690-4608-b846-d6af698839c4.png)