Funks Grove, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Funks Grove is a historic unincorporated community
on U.S. Route 66
in McLean County
, Illinois
, United States
southwest of Bloomington
. The grove for which the settlement is named, Funk's Grove, is a National Natural Landmark
.
is spotted with groves, small patches of land where local terrain conditions discouraged prairie fires and allowed trees to reach maturity. One of these spots is the lower drainage of Timber Creek, a prairie rivulet that forms a tributary of Sugar Creek. All of these creeks eventually form part of the Sangamon River drainage of the Illinois River
.
The banks of Timber Creek, in early historic times, were thickly forested with white oak
s, bur oak
s, and sugar maple
trees. The white oak became the state tree of Illinois, while the sugar maples were used by local Illini Native Americans to make springtime maple syrup
and maple sugar
.
Maple sweetening was highly prized among early Euro-American settlers, and as early as 1824 Isaac Funk settled here. The Funk family began to sell sirup commercially in 1891, and the family continues to control and harvest much of the grove .
Due to fire suppression, the makeup of tree life in Funk's Grove is changing from historic times, with the original oaks not reproducing themselves naturally.
Funks Grove continues to be a favorite landmark for users of historic U.S. Route 66, which is signed in McLean County as it passes through the grove. In addition, a rest stop lies on the edge of the grove on Interstate 55
at Illinois Milepost 149. The rest stop contains some memorabilia of the grove.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
on U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
in McLean County
McLean County, Illinois
McLean County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,572, which is an increase of 12.7% from 150,433 in 2000. Its county seat is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
southwest of Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. The grove for which the settlement is named, Funk's Grove, is a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
.
Natural history
Illinois's Grand PrairiePrairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
is spotted with groves, small patches of land where local terrain conditions discouraged prairie fires and allowed trees to reach maturity. One of these spots is the lower drainage of Timber Creek, a prairie rivulet that forms a tributary of Sugar Creek. All of these creeks eventually form part of the Sangamon River drainage of the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
.
The banks of Timber Creek, in early historic times, were thickly forested with white oak
White oak
Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family, native to eastern North America and found from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been...
s, bur oak
Bur oak
Quercus macrocarpa, the Bur Oak, sometimes spelled Burr Oak, is a species of oak in the white oak section Quercus sect. Quercus, native to North America in the eastern and midwestern United States and south-central Canada...
s, and sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
trees. The white oak became the state tree of Illinois, while the sugar maples were used by local Illini Native Americans to make springtime maple syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
and maple sugar
Maple sugar
Maple sugar is a traditional sweetener in the northeastern United States and Canada, prepared from the sap of the sugar maple tree.-Preparation:...
.
Maple sweetening was highly prized among early Euro-American settlers, and as early as 1824 Isaac Funk settled here. The Funk family began to sell sirup commercially in 1891, and the family continues to control and harvest much of the grove .
Funks Grove today
An 18.6 acre (0.07 km²) parcel within the largely privately-owned grove was dedicated by the state of Illinois in 1985 as the Funk's Grove Nature Preserve.Due to fire suppression, the makeup of tree life in Funk's Grove is changing from historic times, with the original oaks not reproducing themselves naturally.
Funks Grove continues to be a favorite landmark for users of historic U.S. Route 66, which is signed in McLean County as it passes through the grove. In addition, a rest stop lies on the edge of the grove on Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
at Illinois Milepost 149. The rest stop contains some memorabilia of the grove.