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Isaac Funk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the American publisher, seeIsaac K. Funk.

Isaac Funk
Member of theIllinois Senate
from the 10th district
In office
1862(1862)–1865(1865)
Preceded byWilliam Berry
Succeeded byWilliam H. Cheney
Personal details
Born(1797-11-17)November 17, 1797
Clark County, Kentucky
DiedJanuary 29, 1865(1865-01-29)(aged 67)
Bloomington, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceFunks Grove, Illinois
ProfessionRancher
Signature

Isaac Funk(November 17, 1797 – January 29, 1865) was an American rancher and politician, originally fromKentucky.In the 1820s, he foundedFunks Grove, Illinois,inMcLean County, Illinois,with his brother and became a prominent cattle trader. Funk was elected to one term in theIllinois House of Representativesin 1840. Despite several financial setbacks, Funk remained one of the wealthiest settlers in the area. He served in theIllinois Senatein the 1860s and died before his second term was complete. He was the patriarch of theFunk familyand co-foundedIllinois Wesleyan University.

Biography

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Isaac Funk was born on November 17, 1797, inClark County, Kentucky,to Adam and Sarah (Moore) Funk. He was one of nine children and received little schooling. In 1807, he moved with his family toFayette County, Ohio.In 1821, Funk left his family to work at the Kanawha Salt Works inVirginiafor a year. He then returned to Ohio, working as a laborer on a farm. In April 1824, Funk moved toSangamon County, Illinois.His stay was brief, and he moved toMcLean County,becoming one of the county's first settlers. There, he establishedFunks Grove, Illinois,with his brother Absalom. He and his brother began a successful business raising cattle and farming.[1]

By the 1830s, the Funks were among the richest settlers in the area. However, they lost half of their fortune in thePanic of 1837.The brothers dissolved their partnership the next year. Funk continued to rear cattle and slowly rebuilt his fortune. He was elected to theIllinois House of Representativesin 1840, ostensibly as aWhig,serving one two-year term. He again met financial hardship during theGreat Flood of 1844,when many of his cattle died. He was named to the Board of Trustees ofIllinois Wesleyan Universityin 1850 as one of its original founders.[1]

Funk again rebuilt his wealth and was able to build a large house in the 1860s. In 1862, Funk was appointed to fill theIllinois Senateterm ofRichard J. Oglesby,who resigned to fight in theCivil War.By this point, Funk was affiliated with the newRepublican Party.Funk was elected to a second two-year term in 1864.[1]

Funk was a Whig before becoming a Republican. He was friend of Abraham Lincoln and worked in his presidential campaign of 1860. Isaac Funk, along with his attorney and friend, Abraham Lincoln, were responsible for bringing the Chicago & Alton Railroad through the Bloomington area, sidetracking it from its planned route through Peoria.[2][3]

Funk married Cassandra Sharp in June 1826. They had ten children. Funk died on January 29, 1865, inBloomington, Illinois.He fell ill witherysipelasanddiphtheriathe previous day at his home after returning from a legislative session. His wife died later that day. He was buried in Funks Grove Cemetery (Funks Grove, Illinois). Although he left no formalwill and testament,his children donated $10,000 to create the Isaac Funk Professorship of Agriculture at Illinois Wesleyan. Funk was named to the Farmers' Hall of Fame at theUniversity of Illinoisand a portrait of him was hung there in 1913.[1]

Funk family

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Isaac Funk was the patriarch of theFunk family,a mainstay in Illinois and American politics. His eldest sonGeorge Washingtonassumed most of his business interests and was later elected to the Illinois House. His fourth son,Duncan McArthur,served three terms in the Illinois House.Fifth sonMarquis De LaFayetteserved a term in the state house and then two terms in the state senate. He was the father of Eugene Funk, a prominent businessman and member of the Illinois Board of Agricultural Advisors. Seventh son,Benjamin F. Funk,was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives.[4]Benjamin's Funk's sonFrank H.also served in the U.S. House.[5]Only daughter Sarah marriedLeonidas H. Kerrick,who served in the Illinois House and was a trustee at the University of Illinois.[1][4]

References

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  1. ^abcdeDuis, E. (1874).The Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois.Bloomington, IL: The Leader Publishing and Printing House. pp. 580–590.
  2. ^Hasbrouck, Jacob L. (1924).History of McLean County,Illinois.Topeka-Indianapolis, L: Historical Publishing Co. pp. V1-103.
  3. ^"Funks Grove, Illinois – Maple Sirup Country – Legends of America".
  4. ^abEmmerson, Louis L., ed. (1921).Blue Book of the State of Illinois.Springfield, IL: Illinois State Journal Co.
  5. ^"Funk, Frank Hamilton, (1869 - 1940)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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