As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we are looking back at front pages from June 5 across different eras. These archives serve as a living time capsule, capturing everything from early technology booms to local responses to world-shaping political and social movements.
1922: Dixon Evening Telegraph
In the June 5, 1922 edition of the Dixon Evening Telegraph, cutting-edge technology took center stage with the headline “On the Wings of Wireless.” The front page highlighted the growing cultural phenomenon of radio, promoting a featured segment where Arthur R. Keene “writes radio story for the telegraph.” Beyond the airwaves, the day’s local news carried heavy drama, reporting that an “Auto thief taken in gun battle near Maywood” following a high-speed pursuit, and that “Small’s jurors again threaten strike” over a dispute regarding recreation hours.
1989: Northwest Herald
By June 5, 1989, the Northwest Herald was dominated by a ,monumental international crisis and developing local safety protocols. The main banner headline, “Chinese revolt spreads,” detailed the massive civil unrest in Beijing as “Worldwide protest follows bloodshed” in Tiananmen Square. Closer to home, the paper alerted residents to environmental health concerns with the headline “State alerts schools to radon threat,” tracking how elevated levels of the gas were prompting widespread testing across local school districts.
2010: The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb)
The June 5, 2010, edition of DeKalb’s focused heavily on regional development and political accountability. The leading special report, “The give and take of TIF,” took an in-depth look at tax increment financing districts in DeKalb, noting how the redirected money was a “gain for some, strain for others.” On the legal front, the page tracked the corruption trial of a former governor with the headline “Judge is pushing forward,” stating that opening statements were imminent despite defense attempts to delay the proceedings.
2020: Herald-News (Joliet)
Rounding out the collection, the June 5, 2020 edition of the Herald-News captured a defining cultural and social moment of the early 2020s. Under the prominent headline “A PEACEFUL MESSAGE,” the front page featured a large photo of a crowd gathered in New Lenox to demonstrate as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. The page also balanced local mourning and forward-looking state updates, reporting that politicians and friends were gathering to remember a local leader (“He will be missed”), while state officials gave a cautious “Back to school” OK for summer classes with strict precautions.
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