Son of Michael and Mary (Sullivan) Drury and grew up on the north side of Chicago.
Drury began his journalism career in 1920 in Los Angeles writing movie reviews for the Los Angeles Record.
He returned to Chicago only a year and joined the Merchant Marines in 1923.
He became a reporter with the City News Service in 1924 and then moved to the Chicago Daily News in 1926 where he wrote features, columns and book reviews until he left the paper in 1944. While at the Daily News, Drury wrote several popular columns on Chicago including Old Chicago Houses and Old Illinois Houses, both of which were eventually compiled into books. During this time, he also wrote guide books including Chicago in Seven Days and Dining in Chicago and published a book of poetry called Arclight Dusks.
In 1944 Drury was awarded a fellowship from the University of Minnesota to research and write the book Historic Midwest Houses. He took a leave of absence from the Daily News which he made permanent when he was offered a radio show on WMAQ called Chicago a la Carte. Unfortunatelythe radio show was short lived and from 1945 on Drury struggled as a freelance writer, picking up occasional work at the Daily News, the Chicago north side newspapers and the trade magazines such as Inland Steel and the Butcher Workman.
Drury was a presence in the "bohemian" world of Chicago in the 1920s and lived several years near the 57th Street artist's colony in Hyde Park. He was a member of the Cliff Dwellers Club and also spent time at Schlogl's restraurant as a contemporary of such luminaries as Ben Hecht and Robert J Casey. His wife Marion Neville was also a part of the artist's community in Hyde Park and there were married on October 20, 1929.
The Drurys moved to a small house in Chesterton in the 1940's, taking part in what Drury called the "ex-urbanite" movement of artists leaving the city get back to the land.
The move proved to be detrimental to both John and Marion's writing careers, as they unable to report first hand on Chicago events. Neither was able to obtain enough freelance work to keep them financially stable and they struggled with poverty until the end of their lives.
During the 1950's and 1960s, Marion became an amateur artist and had paintings shown in a few local exhibitions. Drury continued to try to find freelance writing work, but there is indication in Marion's correspondence that Drury suffered from alcoholism, which further deepened their financial plight.
Marion Neville died in 1967 after a long bout with cancer. John Drury died in 1972.
Source: Newberry Library website
When Tom and Audrey Lipinski bought the Drury home, they discovered a lot of papers which they donated to the Newberry Library.
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Long-time Chicago newspaper reporter and author of several books: "This is Porter County" (1956), "Rare and Well Done" and "Midwest Homes."
John was active in the Duneland Historical Society.
Drury began his journalism career in 1920 in Los Angeles writing movie reviews for the Los Angeles Record.
He returned to Chicago only a year and joined the Merchant Marines in 1923.
He became a reporter with the City News Service in 1924 and then moved to the Chicago Daily News in 1926 where he wrote features, columns and book reviews until he left the paper in 1944. While at the Daily News, Drury wrote several popular columns on Chicago including Old Chicago Houses and Old Illinois Houses, both of which were eventually compiled into books. During this time, he also wrote guide books including Chicago in Seven Days and Dining in Chicago and published a book of poetry called Arclight Dusks.
In 1944 Drury was awarded a fellowship from the University of Minnesota to research and write the book Historic Midwest Houses. He took a leave of absence from the Daily News which he made permanent when he was offered a radio show on WMAQ called Chicago a la Carte. Unfortunatelythe radio show was short lived and from 1945 on Drury struggled as a freelance writer, picking up occasional work at the Daily News, the Chicago north side newspapers and the trade magazines such as Inland Steel and the Butcher Workman.
Drury was a presence in the "bohemian" world of Chicago in the 1920s and lived several years near the 57th Street artist's colony in Hyde Park. He was a member of the Cliff Dwellers Club and also spent time at Schlogl's restraurant as a contemporary of such luminaries as Ben Hecht and Robert J Casey. His wife Marion Neville was also a part of the artist's community in Hyde Park and there were married on October 20, 1929.
The Drurys moved to a small house in Chesterton in the 1940's, taking part in what Drury called the "ex-urbanite" movement of artists leaving the city get back to the land.
The move proved to be detrimental to both John and Marion's writing careers, as they unable to report first hand on Chicago events. Neither was able to obtain enough freelance work to keep them financially stable and they struggled with poverty until the end of their lives.
During the 1950's and 1960s, Marion became an amateur artist and had paintings shown in a few local exhibitions. Drury continued to try to find freelance writing work, but there is indication in Marion's correspondence that Drury suffered from alcoholism, which further deepened their financial plight.
Marion Neville died in 1967 after a long bout with cancer. John Drury died in 1972.
Source: Newberry Library website
When Tom and Audrey Lipinski bought the Drury home, they discovered a lot of papers which they donated to the Newberry Library.
- - -
Long-time Chicago newspaper reporter and author of several books: "This is Porter County" (1956), "Rare and Well Done" and "Midwest Homes."
John was active in the Duneland Historical Society.
Son of Michael and Mary (Sullivan) Drury and grew up on the north side of Chicago.
Drury began his journalism career in 1920 in Los Angeles writing movie reviews for the Los Angeles Record.
He returned to Chicago only a year and joined the Merchant Marines in 1923.
He became a reporter with the City News Service in 1924 and then moved to the Chicago Daily News in 1926 where he wrote features, columns and book reviews until he left the paper in 1944. While at the Daily News, Drury wrote several popular columns on Chicago including Old Chicago Houses and Old Illinois Houses, both of which were eventually compiled into books. During this time, he also wrote guide books including Chicago in Seven Days and Dining in Chicago and published a book of poetry called Arclight Dusks.
In 1944 Drury was awarded a fellowship from the University of Minnesota to research and write the book Historic Midwest Houses. He took a leave of absence from the Daily News which he made permanent when he was offered a radio show on WMAQ called Chicago a la Carte. Unfortunatelythe radio show was short lived and from 1945 on Drury struggled as a freelance writer, picking up occasional work at the Daily News, the Chicago north side newspapers and the trade magazines such as Inland Steel and the Butcher Workman.
Drury was a presence in the "bohemian" world of Chicago in the 1920s and lived several years near the 57th Street artist's colony in Hyde Park. He was a member of the Cliff Dwellers Club and also spent time at Schlogl's restraurant as a contemporary of such luminaries as Ben Hecht and Robert J Casey. His wife Marion Neville was also a part of the artist's community in Hyde Park and there were married on October 20, 1929.
The Drurys moved to a small house in Chesterton in the 1940's, taking part in what Drury called the "ex-urbanite" movement of artists leaving the city get back to the land.
The move proved to be detrimental to both John and Marion's writing careers, as they unable to report first hand on Chicago events. Neither was able to obtain enough freelance work to keep them financially stable and they struggled with poverty until the end of their lives.
During the 1950's and 1960s, Marion became an amateur artist and had paintings shown in a few local exhibitions. Drury continued to try to find freelance writing work, but there is indication in Marion's correspondence that Drury suffered from alcoholism, which further deepened their financial plight.
Marion Neville died in 1967 after a long bout with cancer. John Drury died in 1972.
Source: Newberry Library website
When Tom and Audrey Lipinski bought the Drury home, they discovered a lot of papers which they donated to the Newberry Library.
- - -
Long-time Chicago newspaper reporter and author of several books: "This is Porter County" (1956), "Rare and Well Done" and "Midwest Homes."
John was active in the Duneland Historical Society.
Drury began his journalism career in 1920 in Los Angeles writing movie reviews for the Los Angeles Record.
He returned to Chicago only a year and joined the Merchant Marines in 1923.
He became a reporter with the City News Service in 1924 and then moved to the Chicago Daily News in 1926 where he wrote features, columns and book reviews until he left the paper in 1944. While at the Daily News, Drury wrote several popular columns on Chicago including Old Chicago Houses and Old Illinois Houses, both of which were eventually compiled into books. During this time, he also wrote guide books including Chicago in Seven Days and Dining in Chicago and published a book of poetry called Arclight Dusks.
In 1944 Drury was awarded a fellowship from the University of Minnesota to research and write the book Historic Midwest Houses. He took a leave of absence from the Daily News which he made permanent when he was offered a radio show on WMAQ called Chicago a la Carte. Unfortunatelythe radio show was short lived and from 1945 on Drury struggled as a freelance writer, picking up occasional work at the Daily News, the Chicago north side newspapers and the trade magazines such as Inland Steel and the Butcher Workman.
Drury was a presence in the "bohemian" world of Chicago in the 1920s and lived several years near the 57th Street artist's colony in Hyde Park. He was a member of the Cliff Dwellers Club and also spent time at Schlogl's restraurant as a contemporary of such luminaries as Ben Hecht and Robert J Casey. His wife Marion Neville was also a part of the artist's community in Hyde Park and there were married on October 20, 1929.
The Drurys moved to a small house in Chesterton in the 1940's, taking part in what Drury called the "ex-urbanite" movement of artists leaving the city get back to the land.
The move proved to be detrimental to both John and Marion's writing careers, as they unable to report first hand on Chicago events. Neither was able to obtain enough freelance work to keep them financially stable and they struggled with poverty until the end of their lives.
During the 1950's and 1960s, Marion became an amateur artist and had paintings shown in a few local exhibitions. Drury continued to try to find freelance writing work, but there is indication in Marion's correspondence that Drury suffered from alcoholism, which further deepened their financial plight.
Marion Neville died in 1967 after a long bout with cancer. John Drury died in 1972.
Source: Newberry Library website
When Tom and Audrey Lipinski bought the Drury home, they discovered a lot of papers which they donated to the Newberry Library.
- - -
Long-time Chicago newspaper reporter and author of several books: "This is Porter County" (1956), "Rare and Well Done" and "Midwest Homes."
John was active in the Duneland Historical Society.
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