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Funks Grove is a historic
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
on
U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
in McLean County,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, southwest of Bloomington. The grove for which the settlement is named, ''Funk's Grove'', is a
National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
.


Natural history

Illinois's Grand
Prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
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 The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 in central Illinois in the United Stat ...
drainage of the
Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the D ...
. The banks of Timber Creek, in early historic times, were thickly forested with
white oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...
s,
bur oak ''Quercus macrocarpa'', the bur oak or burr oak, is a species of oak tree native to eastern North America. It is in the white oak section, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'', and is also called mossycup oak, mossycup white oak, blue oak, or scrub o ...
s, and
sugar maple ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prima ...
trees. The white oak became the
state tree This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory trees, including official trees of the following of the states, of the federal district, and of the territories. Table See also * List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insign ...
of Illinois, while the sugar maples were used by local Illini Native Americans to make springtime
maple syrup Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple tree ...
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 .


Funks Grove today

An 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 Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wild land areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated a ...
, 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 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
, 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 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...
at Illinois Milepost 149. The rest stop contains some memorabilia of the grove.


Sugar Grove Nature Center

Sugar Grove Nature Center opened in October 2004 and is run by a
non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
. It features interpretive environmental exhibits, sensory displays, live animals and a wildlife viewing area. The center offers guided walks, after school workshops, family programs and programs for schools, preschools, homeschoolers and other groups.


References


External links

*
Sugar Grove Nature Center

Funks Grove, Illinois
{{authority control National Natural Landmarks in Illinois Nature centers in Illinois Nature reserves in Illinois Populated places established in 1824 Populated places in McLean County, Illinois Protected areas of McLean County, Illinois 1824 establishments in Illinois