History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Abraham B. Funk
[A. B. Funk]
ABRAHAM B. FUNK, journalist and legislator, was born at Liberty, Illinois, January 12, 1854. He came to Iowa with his father's family in 1865, first locating in Hamilton County and later removing to Estherville. Here in 1870 the young man entered the office of the Northern Vindicator as compositor and made such progress that in two years he became half owner of the Spirit Lake Beacon. In 1878 he established a paper at Flandreau, Dakota, where he was elected the first mayor of the town. In 1879 the same year he returned to Spirit Lake of which he also became the first mayor, and was connected with the Beacon at the same period. Through this journal Mr. Funk acquired wide influence in northwestern Iowa. His political career began with his election as delegate to the National Republican Convention of 1884, and in 1887 he was elected to the State Senate from the district consisting of the counties of Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto and Kossuth. He served in that position for three terms, attaining high rank among the leading members of the General Assemblies during that period of twelve years. As chairman of the committee on ways and means he was largely instrumental in framing and securing the passage of the bill creating the State Board of Control. In 1897 Senator Funk was one of the most prominent candidates before the Republican State Convention for nomination for Governor, at the time Leslie M. Shaw was nominated. Upon the creation of the State Commission to improve and complete the Capitol building, Senator Funk was made a member.