As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from May 26. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from historic infrastructure projects to local public school shifts and global postwar conflicts.
1923: Streator Daily Free Press
On May 26, 1923, the Streator Daily Free Press focused heavily on industrial development with the massive headline “New York Central Extension to Ottawa.” The front page detailed plans for large shipments through Streator pending a major new silica plant, alongside a looming international crisis under the banner “Balkan War Inevitable Says Report.” Domestically, the paper highlighted Prohibition enforcement updates with “New Liquor Regulations Will Be Drawn Carefully To Prevent Involvements.”
1964: Morris Daily Herald
The May 26, 1964, edition of the Morris Daily Herald captured a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights movement, leading with “To Submit Rights Amendments” as Senator Everett Dirksen announced that cloture votes were available to pass the revised bill. Locally, municipal debates took an unusual turn with the front page headline “Topic of City Council Debate: It’s Only Corn,” tracking an issue over FFA corn planting on school grounds, alongside community news noting that the “Morris Pool To Be Opened On Saturday.”
1991: The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
In 1991, the Weekend Edition of DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle brought global turmoil home with the banner headline “Foreigners flee capital city as rebels draw close,” detailing the evacuation of Addis Ababa. Closer to home, local infrastructure and community spaces dominated the front page, reporting that “Opposition stalls power line relocation” and sharing a poignant cultural milestone for moviegoers: “State Theater closes.”
2012: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
Rounding out the collection, the May 26, 2012, edition of the Northwest Herald highlighted the daily realities of regional growth with the bold headline “County a maze of roadwork.” The front page mixed policy and local interest, featuring a legislative look at “Madigan outlines new pension plan” alongside an active educational feature on a Harrison Elementary pilot program titled “First-grade class trades chairs for balls in pilot program.”
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