As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from March 12. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from historic natural disasters to the onset of a modern global pandemic.
1923: Dixon Evening Telegraph
On March 12, 1923, the Dixon Evening Telegraph featured a massive, stark headline: “Freak storm isolates Dixon from the world.” A late-winter blizzard, accompanied by rare thunder and lightning, cut all communication lines and blocked roads with snow and downed trees. The front page also touched on international tension, reporting that “Two Frenchmen assassinated by the Germans” in the Ruhr region, and local civic duties with the “City Primary Election Day” set for the following morning.
1985: Times-Press (Streator)
By March 12, 1985, the Times-Press captured a pivotal moment in world history with the headline “Gorbachev ushers in new generation of Soviet leadership.” Following the death of Konstantin Chernenko, the 54-year-old Mikhail Gorbachev took power, signaling a shift in the Cold War. Locally, the paper focused on a “Mayoral foes clash over leadership” story in Streator and the La Salle County Board’s struggle to “balance general fund” deficits.
1995: Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
The March 12, 1995, edition of the Northwest Herald focused heavily on education and the economy. The lead story, “Retired teachers brace for hit,” detailed the collapse of a health insurance fund that left local educators in McHenry County facing “ire and questions.” On the sports front, the paper teased a major comeback story with a report that “Jordan could be back for March 24 game,” referring to Michael Jordan’s impending return to the Chicago Bulls.
2020: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
The March 12, 2020, Daily Chronicle serves as a chilling reminder of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bold headline “Corona cancellations” dominated the page as Northern Illinois University extended spring break and moved classes online. The page also noted major national shifts, including President Trump’s ban on travel from Europe and the NBA’s decision to suspend its season, marking the day the world seemingly came to a halt.
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