As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from June 9. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from defining moments of World War II to the local conversations that shaped our communities decades later.
1944: Streator Daily Times-Press
Published just days after D-Day, this front page is dominated by massive wartime developments. The main headline blares “ALLIES NEAR CHERBOURG,” tracking the rapid Allied advance across France and noting that “Ste. Mere Eglise Has Been Captured.” Beyond Europe, the paper reported on the Pacific theater, detailing how “U.S. Heavy Bombers Raid Munich Area.” Locally, the paper balanced global crisis with regional news, reporting on a “Highway Crash” that left five Lostant men injured.
1969: Dixon Evening Telegraph
This edition captured a major shifting point in the Vietnam War with the lead headline, “Troop Pullout Termed Peace Move.” The page features a large portrait of Warren Burger, noting that his “Burger Confirmation Anticipated” as the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Closer to home, the paper covered regional tragedies and political friction, including a “Freeport Woman Dies In Head-on Car Crash” and a story titled “Own Party Is Giving Nixon Fits.”
1997: Northwest Herald
In 1997, the focus shifted heavily to local governance, community celebrations, and national politics. The main local headline highlights a “Grant to speed police paper trail,” detailing how federal funds would equip McHenry County squad cars with in-car computers. The front page also celebrated local milestones, featuring Woodstock’s commencement with the headline “Grads told to face world, laugh,” alongside a report on how “Milk Days crowds pour in for finale” in Harvard. In national news, the paper tracked political scandal with “Infidelity may thwart Ralston’s nomination.”
2020: Daily Chronicle
Rounding out the collection, this edition from DeKalb centers on social movements and the COVID-19 pandemic. The dominant front-page photo features local activists carrying a “Black Lives Matter” sign, paired with the headline “TALKING IT OUT,” which detailed heart-to-heart discussions between city officials and protest leaders regarding police reforms. Sidebars on the front page track how activists vowed to continue “Showing support” despite the heat, alongside a “Shift in plans” noting that the annual Fizz Ehrler car show was canceled due to pandemic concerns.
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