The “52 Cousins” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of Daniel Dry (1795-1836) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
Daniel Dry: A Pioneer's Journey from Carolina to Illinois
Early Life and Family Background
Daniel Dry was born on July 21, 1795, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, into a family of considerable means. His parents were Owen Ulrich Dry (1754-1840) and Eve Dry (1757-1828). The Dry family were plantation and slave owners in North Carolina, enjoying the privileges and status that came with such wealth in the early American South.
Daniel had at least one known half-sibling, Catherine Dry Miller (1783-1858), though he likely had other brothers and sisters in this large family typical of the era.
A Love That Changed Everything
In 1814, Daniel met Barbara Lipe, the daughter of Leonard Lipe (1763-1848) and Barbara Wentz Lipe (1766-1849). Barbara was born on November 16, 1795, in Montgomery County, North Carolina—the same year as Daniel. However, there was one significant problem: Barbara came from a very poor farming family, and the class difference was stark.
When Daniel and Barbara became engaged, his parents, Owen and Eve Dry, strongly objected to the match. The wealthy plantation owners could not accept their son marrying beneath his station. But Daniel and Barbara were determined. They married on March 21, 1815, in Montgomery County, North Carolina—and Daniel was promptly disinherited by his family.
The Bold Move West (1817)
Just two years after their marriage, in 1817, Daniel made a decision that would define the rest of his life. He and Barbara, now with their young family, left North Carolina behind and headed west to Perry County in the Illinois Territory. This was the frontier—wild, unsettled, and full of promise for those brave enough to face its challenges.
The journey itself tells you everything you need to know about their circumstances. They traveled the entire distance with just one horse pulling a cart that held everything they owned. Daniel had gone from the son of a wealthy plantation owner to a pioneer with nothing but his courage, his wife, and his determination.
Building a Life in the Wilderness
When Daniel and Barbara arrived in Perry County, Illinois, they found themselves in true wilderness. Daniel's first home for his family was a makeshift shelter—a three-sided structure made of rails, covered with straw and grass, with a quilt serving as the door. Imagine the contrast from the plantation life he'd left behind!
But Daniel wasn't defeated by these humble beginnings. He worked to clear the land and eventually built a proper log house for his growing family. They were true pioneers, carving out a life where none had existed before.
Life in County Records: History of Perry County
In the 1820 census, Daniel was recorded in Saline, Jackson, Illinois. The household included Daniel (age 16-25), Barbara (age 16-25), one male under 10 and one female under 10—showing a young, growing family.
In 1830 no census for Perry County could be found. However, on page 166 & 167 of "History of Randolph Monroe abnd Perry Counties Illinois" we find this satement: "The first financial statement of the county was made on the third day of December, 1827, by Daniel Dry, treasurer, in settling with William C. Murphy, sheriff, and was as follows: Received from William C. Murphy, sheriff..."
Children and Family Life
Daniel and Barbara had eight children together, though tragically, only four would survive to adulthood—a harsh reminder of the realities of frontier life in the early 19th century:
- Wilson Dry (1815-1817) - Their firstborn died in infancy in Perry County, Illinois
- Catherine Dry (November 5, 1817 - January 10, 1879) - Born in Perry County, Illinois; married Hiram Pyle (1810-1876) on April 18, 1833
- Owen Monroe Dry (March 16, 1820 - about 1838) - Born in Perry County, Illinois; died young in Duquoin, Perry County
- Lawrence Dry (April 4, 1822 - May 4, 1907) - Born in Perry County, Illinois; married Margaret McElvain (1823-1896) on February 27, 1842; lived to age 85
- Lydia Dry (September 8, 1824 - May 28, 1908) - Born in Perry County, Illinois; married three times: William Riley Browning (1837), Belus Franklin Harrison (1873), and Hosea Vise (1888)
- Daniel Washington Dry (February 22, 1827 - March 9, 1891) - Born in Perry County, Illinois; married Martha Wells on April 19, 1848; served in Co. B, 42nd NC Infantry during the Civil War (1862-1865)
- Jacob Dry (August 27, 1830 - March 8, 1832) - Born and died in Perry County, Illinois, at just 18 months old
- Aaron Dry (September 1, 1833 - November 25, 1865) - Born in Perry County, Illinois; married Elizabeth Wooley (1833-1899) on February 24, 1853
A Premature End
Daniel Dry died on March 9, 1836, in Perry County, Illinois, at the age of just 40 years, 7 months, and 18 days. He was buried in the McElvain Cemetery in Du Quoin, Perry County, Illinois, in Lot 73—the same plot where Barbara would eventually join him decades later.
His death left Barbara a widow at age 40 with five surviving children still at home. Their youngest, Aaron, was only two and a half years old.
The Road Not Taken
According to family letters, Daniel's story has a poignant postscript. In later years, his parents, Owen and Eve Dry, came to regret their harsh reaction to his marriage. They asked Daniel and Barbara to return to North Carolina, presumably offering reconciliation and perhaps even restoration to the family.
But Daniel refused. He never returned to North Carolina, and he never saw his parents again. Whether this was from pride, principle, or simply because he'd built a life he was proud of in Illinois, we'll never know. But it speaks to the strength of character that drove him to leave wealth and privilege behind for love and independence in the first place.
Barbara's Later Years
Barbara lived on for another 44 years after Daniel's death, finally passing away on February 26, 1880, at the age of 84. She died of apoplexy (stroke) in Du Quoin, Perry County, Illinois, and was laid to rest beside Daniel in the McElvain Cemetery.
The census records show her living with various family members over the years—in 1850 with her son Daniel Washington, and in 1860 with the Pyle family (likely her daughter Catherine's in-laws). She witnessed her surviving children grow up, marry, and have families of their own, living long enough to see the frontier wilderness she and Daniel had settled become an established community.
Legacy
Daniel Dry's life was short but remarkable. He gave up everything—wealth, status, family connections—for love and the freedom to build his own life on his own terms. He and Barbara transformed themselves from mismatched lovers in Carolina society to successful pioneers in Illinois. Though Daniel didn't live to see his children fully grown, his descendants went on to build lives across the Midwest, carrying forward the independent spirit he'd shown when he chose love and the frontier over comfort and conformity.
His tombstone in the McElvain Cemetery stands as a testament to a man who lived by his own convictions, even when it cost him everything.
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| Courtesy of Bonnie Ward Williamson and Findagrave. |
Daniel Dry is my 1st Cousin 5X Removed.
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1. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 June 2020); Memorial page for Daniel Dry; (21 July 1795–9 March 1836); Find a Grave memorial # 34493277, Citing McElvain Cemetery; Du Quoin, Perry County, Illinois, USA.
2. 1820 U. S. Census, Jackson County, Illinois, population schedule, Saline, Jackson, Illinois, Page 96, Line 19, Household of Daniel DRY, Daniel DRY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : online June 2025).
3. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Barbara Lipe Dry (16 November 1795–26 February 1880), Memorial # 34493490.
4. 1840 U. S. Census, Perry County, Illinois, population schedule, Perry County, Illinois, Page 78B, Line 16, Household of Barbara DRY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 25 June 2020); citing NARA publication Roll: M_704_67.
5. 1850 U. S. Census, Perry County, Illinois, population schedule, District 7, Perry, Illinois, Page 370(Stamped), Line 10, Dwelling 508, Family 510, Household of Daniel W. DRY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 25 June 2020); citing NARA publication Roll: M432.
6. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, History of Randolph Monroe and Perry Counties Illinois (Philadelphia, PA: J.L. McDonough & Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1883), page 166 & 167.
7. 1860 U. S. Census, Perry County, Illinois, population schedule, Township 6 S Range 2 W, Perry, Illinois, Page 213(Penciled), Line 1,, Dwelling 1452, Family 1452;, Barbara MEAD; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 25 June 2020); citing NARA publication Roll: M653.
8. 1880 U. S. Census Mortality Schedule, Perry County, Illinois, population schedule, Du Quoin, Perry, Illinois, USA, enumeration district (ED) 73, Page 1, Line 25 [Actual Line 28], Barbara Dry; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 May 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M1805.
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