Funks Grove, Illinois: It's a "Sirup" Thing

On our trip to Springfield for the Sons of Confederate Veterans Illinois Division annual conference, we stopped at Funk's Grove for some of that real pure maple "sirup" (the way you spell it if you don't add sugar). We figured this being so close to the end of the sirup season, they'd have some. They did. If you wait another few months, they're usually out of it.

They really should get someone to level their driveway. We saw a car parked by the house with license plate "SIRUP66.: Wonder whose car that is.

Since part of this trip is to find Illinois Route 66's connection with the Civil War, I inquired with the guy behind the counter, who is a Funk. He said that Isaac Funk, II, had been a Union soldier but had gotten a discharge from President Lincoln at Judge David Davis' request (a close friend of Lincoln) when his father died in 1865. He didn't know if they still had the letter from Lincoln. Probably not, but that would really be something if they did.

In 1909, Isaac Funk, II, was killed by a train at Funks Grove.

While there, a Corvette pulled up from New Jersey. The two guys were on Route 66 for the first time and were intending to drive the whole thing out to Santa Monica. We filled them in on things to see to Springfield.

We saw them later at the Dixie.

And, We Aren't Even in Springfield Yet. --RoadDog