As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from March 20. These archives serve as a time capsule, capturing everything from the dark days of the Great Depression and the onset of the Iraq War to the unprecedented local shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1931: Streator Daily Times-Press
On March 20, 1931, the Streator Daily Times-Press featured a chaotic mix of local and national crises. The lead headline, “PRISONERS RIOT WHILE INVESTIGATION IS ON‚" detailed a mutiny at the Joliet penitentiary where inmates were quelled by guards with fixed bayonets. Meanwhile, the paper provided a glimpse into the era’s fascination with aviation and tragedy, reporting on a “Mercy Ship” flying to rescue Arctic victims and the discovery of three dead in a tornado that leveled sections of Clinton, Oklahoma.
2003: Northwest Herald (Woodstock)
By March 20, 2003, the focus was squarely on the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Northwest Herald led with a massive, somber quote from President George W. Bush: “‘Our purpose is sure’.” The front page detailed the initial “Surgical Strikes” in Baghdad and a missile attack aimed at Saddam Hussein’s residence. Closer to home, the paper reported on local lawmakers expressing their support for U.S. forces as the nation braced for a “longer and more difficult” conflict.
2003: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb County)
The March 20, 2003, edition of DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle also focused on the start of the war, but with a poignant local lens. Under the headline “Proud Sycamore mother watches TV, waits for word,” the paper told the story of Kathi Davis, whose 19-year-old son was stationed in Kuwait with the Marines. The page captured the raw emotion of the community, noting that “Americans cheer, pray, fret, fume over start of the war.”
2020: The Herald-News (Joliet)
Rounding out the collection, the March 20, 2020, edition of The Herald-News captured the chilling early days of the global pandemic. The bold headline “HITTING HOME” announced Will County’s first COVID-19 death. The front page served as a bulletin for a world shutting down, reporting that the Diocese of Joliet had halted all church services and Holy Week ceremonies, while Joliet City Hall and other county buildings began strictly restricting public access.
:quality(70)/author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/shawmedia/59fc2deb-4690-4608-b846-d6af698839c4.png)