Henry's brother, William, was honored in with the publication of the following biographical sketch in about 1892, during his lifetime. We learn a lot about the nine brothers and their parents from it. Here is the full text.
WILLIAM H. CASSIDY, who carries on an insurance business and also runs a livery in Gilman, is a native of Ireland, where he was born March 17, 1837, in County Donegal. He is a son of John and Jane (Chestnut) Cassidy, both of whom were natives of the same county. They had a family of nine sons, of whom eight lived to be grown, and all of whom came to the Unite d States. The father followed the occupation of farming. Of the children, Samuel, a graduate of Dublin College, was the first to leave his home and cross the broad Atlantic. He came about 1846, and is now engaged i n merchandising on Staten Island. Some two years later his brother John followed his example, coming to the United States, and was yardmaster at Olney, Ill., where he was killed by the cars in the year 1859. Richard and Thomas emigrated about 1852, the former residing at Crescent City, Iroquois County, while the latter was in the mercantile business with hi s eldest brother and died in New York City. Our subject next left his native land, and his brother Moses in 1862 did likewise, and is an extensive farmer in Winnebago County, Ill. At the close of the war, James and Henry, the remaining sons, came with their parents to the New World. James engaged in the mercantile business in New York until the time of his death, while Henry lived quite a number of years in Gilman, following the insurance business, and has but lately removed to Chicago. The parents later removed to Winnebago County, where they both died at the age of eighty-five. They were members of the Episcopal Church and among the worthy citizens that Ireland has furnished to America.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and his education was received in the common schools of Ireland. He made the voyage across the Atlantic in 1856, and in pursuit of fortune he first sold Irish linens and notions from house to house for a year. He then followed farming until 1860, when be entered his brother's store at Detroit, Mich.
In the fall of the same year, when Mr. Cassidy went to Belvidere, Ill., he there married Sarah M. Dawson, their marriage being celebrated on the 1st of December, 1860. She was born in Summit County, Ohio, and rested t o womanhood in Illinois. Her parents came from England. After their marriage, our subject and his wife settled in Winnebago County, on a farm, w here they lived until 1866, at which time he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in what is now Danforth Township. This he greatly improved and drained. In 1875 he removed to Gilman and has since been in the insurance business. He purchased the livery barn, which he still runs, in 1887. To Mr. and Mrs. Cassidy were born four children: Jennie T., w ho carries on a stationery and book store, is the Assistant Postmaster a t Gilman; Elmer married Rosa Keller, and is engaged in the livery business with his father; Alice C., a teacher of recognized ability; and Minnie May, who died at the age of six and a half years.
Politically, Mr. Cassidy was a member of the Republican party until 188 4, since which time he has been a Prohibitionist. He and his wife are m embers of the Free-will Baptist Church, to which they give their hearty c o-operation. Socially, he is a Mason and Modern Woodman. By industry and saving he has made a comfortable competence, laving commenced life without a dollar. During his seventeen years of residence here he and his estimable wife have made many friends and to them their home is most hospitably open. It is with pleasure that we present this brief sketch of o ne of Gilman's most worthy citizens, who though native of another land h as always been most loyal to his adopted country.
You can find this online here. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilicgs/bio/page19.htm
