Inaugural Pages Celebrate Hometown Heroes

Washington is now home to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But America's new president and vice president are tied to Chicago and Wilmington, Del. Hometown newspapers the Chicago Tribune and The News Journal provided extraordinary coverage of the inauguration. The Tribune's front page reversed a quote from Obama's inaugural address into a picture of the new president taking the oath of office. "A dream that once seemed inconceivable became an irrefutable fact on Tuesday," it said, with a reference to an inside commemorative section. The Chicago Sun-Times pictured a close-up of Obama with his right hand raised and an inset quote "So Help Me God."

The News Journal chose a photo that included members of the Obama family and incorporated its nameplate and a reference to 25 pages of coverage in its front-page design. "Delaware's Biden becomes nation's 47th vice president," it added with a photo of Joe Biden and his wife, Jill.

Obama is the first president from Hawaii, and The Honolulu Advertiser used the Getty Images photo that appeared on The News Journal and paired it with a photo of the crowd gathered for the ceremony. "President Barack Obama, born and raised in our Islands, launches the next chapter of American history."

Portraits of Obama and Scranton-native Biden appeared on the cover of a special section of The Times-Tribune in Pennsylvania. Its "Souvenir Edition" front page said: "Hope and History."