As Shaw Media reflects on its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from February 14. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from the heart-wrenching homecomings of the Vietnam War to the early days of internet romance and the solemn anniversaries of local tragedies.
1973: Dixon Evening Telegraph
On February 14, 1973, the Dixon Evening Telegraph front page was a mix of global relief and local winter reality. The lead photo featured a “Nature’s Valentine,” showing residents shoveling through a heavy snowstorm, while the top news story reported that “20 POWs and puppy leave for America,” marking a poignant moment in the closing of the Vietnam War. Additionally, the paper detailed the “Hanoi, Washington agreement” regarding postwar reconstruction.
2001: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
By 2001, the Northwest Herald focused on deeply personal stories of love and loss. The headline “Long goodbye” sat above a photo of a woman embracing her ex-husband, who was moving into a nursing home to battle Alzheimer’s disease. In sterner news, the front page covered the legal fallout of a local tragedy with the headline “Driver settles suit in death of immigrant,” detailing a settlement following a fatal crash in Woodstock.
2005: The Times-Press (Streator)
Streator Times-Press cover: Feb. 14, 2005 Feb 14, 2005 The Times (Streator, Illinois) Newspapers.com In 2005, The Times-Press highlighted the changing landscape of relationships in the digital age. Under a masthead decorated with Valentine hearts, the lead story, “An Internet family,” explored how local couples were finding “Love On The Internet.” The feature followed a family brought together via the web, shifting from “E-mail to matrimony,” illustrating how technology was beginning to redefine the traditional local love story.
2011: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
The February 14, 2011, edition of the Daily Chronicle was marked by solemn remembrance. Three years after the tragic shooting at Northern Illinois University, the paper led with “IN DAUGHTER’S FOOTSTEPS,” a story about Joseph Dubowski, whose daughter Gayle was a victim in 2008, attending NIU himself. The page featured a “WE REMEMBER” banner with photos of the five students lost, showing a community still united in healing.
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