Do you recall these Western Springs newspapers?

Starting in 1913, a new world emerged for Western Springs’ 1,000 residents. That’s when they could first subscribe to the weekly Western Springs Times. It was just $2.00 per year, or $1.75 if paid in cash. Individual copies sold for 5 cents. Its eight pages were equivalent to today’s Internet, providing timely local news, classified advertising, and human interest stories.

Produced by the Citizen Publishing Company, the paper continued well into the 1950’s. But, it would eventually be renamed the Western Springs Citizen, reflecting the name of its parent company.

In 1936, another weekly paper arrived on the scene, The Springs’ Press. Published in nearby Willow Springs and priced at just $1.00 per year, the paper was a bargain compared to the Times. But, it’s not known how long this paper survived.

In 1949, the Suburban LIFE newspaper began in Cicero and, in 1952, it published its first “West” edition, which included Western Springs. In 1953, the paper went to a twice-weekly schedule. The Suburban Life was delivered to residents’ homes by 40 or more local kids, for whom this was their first employment opportunity. One of them, 11-year-old Mark Ptacek, would become the president of the Heartland Bank.

In 1963, the weekly Western Springs Villager appeared on the scene. It was a true local paper, dealing only with Western Springs’ news and activities. But, by early 1968, it was forced to cease operations.

In 1974, the Citizen was purchased by the Suburban LIFE. For a short time, both papers continued to publish separately. But, in 1975, the Citizen was merged with the Life and the paper assumed the somewhat unwieldy name of Suburban LIFE Citizen. By 1979, the paper was printing three issues a week.

During this period, the Chicago Tribune launched its Suburban Trib . But, by 1982, this was merged back into the Chicago Tribune.

In 1976, yet another newspaper was launched. The Western Springs Sun introduced delivery by U.S. Mail and in 1986 implemented a subscription drive to build readership. While one of the more successful local papers, it was acquired by the Copley Press in 1989. Unfortunately, by 1991, the newspaper was forced to cease publication, leaving the Suburban LIFE Citizen as the town’s only local newspaper.

In 1991, The Doings, previously found only in DuPage County, entered the Western Springs market. While the newspaper chain was subsequently purchased by the Chicago Sun-Times, it was subsequently acquired by the Chicago Tribune. It continues to operate as The Doings.

In 2009, the Suburban Life reduced its publication cycle to once weekly but, like The Doings, continues to serve the village.

There’s no doubt that the increased availability of electronic, Internet news has become a major challenge to the print media. But as long as advertisers and the public are willing to support such newspapers, they are likely to remain part of our village fabric.

Each week, the Western Springs Historical Society presents a “Blast from the Past”. To view prior stories, visit us at www.westernspringshistory.org or just click on the author’s name shown above.

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