As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from April 4. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from the closing days of World War II to the local community’s resilience during a modern global pandemic.
1927: The DeKalb Daily Chronicle
On April 4, 1927, the Daily Chronicle featured a massive headline declaring, “Great Things Are In Store For City By Chamber.” The page was a whirlwind of local and international news, reporting on a “Big Strike” still affecting the region and a “New Route” being assured for state highways. Beyond DeKalb, the paper covered global unrest with the headline “Riot Today At Hankow” involving Japanese and Chinese forces, and a legal intrigue titled “Ford May Be Examined,” regarding a lawsuit involving Henry Ford.
1945: The Streator Daily Times-Press
By 1945, the front page was dominated by the dramatic final months of World War II. The bold, all-caps headline “YANKS NEARING HANNOVER” signaled the swift Allied advance through Germany, noting that troops had reached the Weser and Ems rivers. The page also provided a grim but hopeful map of the “Ruhr Trap,” where Allied armies were closing the perimeter on German forces. Locally, the paper remained grounded in civic life, reporting on Dr. M.M. Kelly’s victory in a high school contest and Republican sweeps in township offices.
2014: The Kane County Chronicle
Fast-forwarding to 2014, the Kane County Chronicle showcased a shift toward vibrant, full-color photography and human-interest stories. The headline “‘SO MAJESTIC’” celebrated the return of bald eagles from near extinction, featuring a striking image of the birds nesting at Mooseheart. The edition balanced this environmental success with local updates, such as a “Family Reunion” for a young great horned owl in Batavia and local political critiques regarding state proposals.
2020: The Northwest Herald
The April 4, 2020, edition of the Northwest Herald captures a pivotal moment in recent history: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the headline “PREPARING FOR MORE,” the front-page image shows healthcare workers in full PPE conducting drive-thru testing. The stories reflect a community in crisis and coordination, with reports on state officials preparing McCormick Place for hospital overflow and local businesses sending food to hospital staff in Harvard.
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