Charles Franklin "Uncle Frank" Lynn (or Linn, but he preferred the "y" spelling of the name), born 19 Nov. 1827 in Windsor, Maine, died 27 Aug. 1897 in Chicago, Illinois, was one of the seven sons of George Russell Linn and Abigail Stinson Linn.

Frank came to Illinois in 1840 with his parents and siblings, and the family lived at and near Lee Center, Lee County, Illinois. In 1862, Frank became Lee County Sheriff. His Civil War record staes: Appointed Captain, Commissary of Subsistance, Volunteers, 7 March, 1865, brevet Major, Vols., 10 Aug. 1865, for faithful and meritorious service; Honorably mustered out Aug. 14, 1865. Uncle Frank was in the hardware business in Amboy, Ill., for several yeas. He moved to Chicago in 1872 and engaged in the livestock commission business at the Union Stockyards. Uncle Frank also served as a deputy sheriff and a county commissioner, and also went to California during the gold rush.