As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at front pages from June 6 across different decades. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from early 20th-century wartime victories to modern local movements and economic realities.
1917: The Times (Streator)
The June 6, 1917, edition of Streator’s The Times led with an intense wartime naval battle headlined “Armed American Ship Sinks U-Boat.” The front page detailed how an American liner destroyed a German submarine after a running gunfight that lasted nearly two hours. Domestically, the paper tracked the implementation of the World War I draft, reporting that the “Registration of young men meets expectation of census department in every state.” On a local note, the edition featured a heartwarming social announcement titled “Pretty romance ends in wedding,” highlighting the marriage of a Streator couple.
1942: Morris Daily Herald
By 1942, the front page of the Morris Daily Herald was dominated by a mix of devastating local tragedy and massive global conflict. The paper led with the heartbreaking banner headline, “Five County Men Victims of Blast,” reporting on a catastrophic explosion at the nearby Elwood ordnance plant that left “One Dead Or Missing, Four Are Hospitalized.” Right alongside this local disaster, the paper carried major World War II news, tracking the turning tide of the war in the Pacific with the headline “Jap Invasion Fleet Smashed” as the historic battle reached its conclusion near Midway.
1975: Dixon Evening Telegraph
The June 6, 1975, edition of the Dixon Evening Telegraph focused heavily on the economic anxieties of the mid-1970s. The primary headline blared, “Jobless rate is highest since ’41,” noting that the national unemployment rate had jumped to 9.2%. A secondary story reported that while the “Illinois rate down,” it remained a “still serious problem.” On the local political front, the paper investigated allegations of voting irregularities with the headline “Grand jury to be called in vote probe.”
2020: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
Rounding out the collection, the June 6, 2020, weekend edition of the Northwest Herald captured a snapshot of modern social and local news. The front page featured a large, striking photo of local demonstrators holding signs like “Silence is Violence” under the dominant headline “Voice for Change,” detailing how protestors joined the national movement in downtown Crystal Lake. The side columns kept readers informed on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting a “Tough battle” won by a 91-year-old Ringwood woman who survived the virus, while offering a glimpse of normalcy with a sports update on high schools entering “Phase 3” of conditioning restrictions.
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