As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four historic front pages from June 11. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from local infrastructure upgrades and national environmental crises to intense social movements and global security alerts.
1929: The DeKalb Daily Chronicle
The June 11, 1929, edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle featured a prominent local headline focused on infrastructure: “More equipment for DeKalb power plant.” The subhead noted that a new turbine and water softener would be installed to ensure good service for the growing community. Beyond city utilities, the front page kept readers informed on aviation milestones with the update “Flyers are on the Way,” mapping out the route of a transatlantic flight trying to reach Greenland.
1987: Morris Daily Herald
In 1987, the Morris Daily Herald captured a striking regional event with its lead story, “Most potent earthquake in 19 years rocks Midwest; little damage, one injury.” The article detailed how a 5.0 magnitude tremor shook at least 15 states, leaving residents feeling a jolt as they braced for potential aftershocks. On the same page, international affairs hit home with a report on the United States Persian Gulf policy shifting to a focus on protecting “shipping war” oil tankers.
1991: Northwest Herald
By 1991, environmental and budgetary concerns took center stage in McHenry and northern Kane counties. The Northwest Herald led with a massive feature titled “Politics of trash,” warning that rising costs and landfill limitations “may ultimately force the issue” for local waste management. The front page also monitored international crises, detailing the dramatic evacuation of a Philippine volcano zone where Americans were forced to flee a nearby air base under a darkening sky of ash.
2020: Kane County Chronicle
Rounding out the collection, the June 11, 2020, edition of the Kane County Chronicle captured a defining moment of contemporary history. A large front-page photograph documented local Black Lives Matter rallies in St. Charles and Batavia under the headline “‘Time for Change.’” Side columns balanced this major civil rights movement with everyday pandemic-era realities, tracking community news such as high school “Graduation Walks” and the cancellation of the local county fair.
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