Auburn still home to some of its pioneer families

A number of families have called Auburn home for generations and have seen monumental changes in the area. Keith Lukens, 86, is the third generation of his family to live in Auburn. "I was actually born here," Lukens said. "My family came here years before. My grandfather moved here I think in 1896, and he was an attorney. He set up business in Old Town. We have been here ever since." Lukens said his mother's side of the family called the city home even earlier. "My grandmother on my mother's side was born in San Francisco, but her father was in the mining business," he said. "I guess they first hit Auburn back in the 1860s. We have been here awhile." When Lukens was growing up Auburn was the epitome of a small town, he said. "My memories of when I was a youngster are it was a smaller town atmosphere," he said. "You went up and down the streets and you knew everybody by their first name. Of course, I grew up in the Depression time, so things were a little slower." Lukens said one of the major changes he has seen is the number of buildings that have come and gone in Downtown and Old Town, including the Auburn Hotel, which is now the Promenade building across the street from U.S. Bank. Lukens' family owned the G.E. Lukens & Sons, Inc. Hardware Store in Old Town. The store moved to the U.S. Bank location and then to the parking lot near the Auburn Journal. It was there for 10 years before Lukens sold it. Lukens said his reasons for staying in Auburn all these years are pretty basic. "Primarily, I think, it was my home," he said. "I was born and raised here. I was well acquainted and that sort of thing. I like the area. I have traveled a lot … and still consider this one of the best places to live." Lukens' son and daughter currently live in Baxter, which is east of Colfax. Lukens has seen positive and negative aspects to Auburn over the years. "I think on the good side Auburn has grown and is a much better town to live in than it was years ago," he said. "The other side of it is it's suffering like everybody else. It's as friendly and easygoing town as it was. Most of the progress has been pretty good." Basilio "Bud" Procissi, 83, is also the third generation of his family to live in Auburn."My grandfather, Giovanni Testa, came to Auburn in 1906," Procissi said. "He came over here from Italy. He heard all the talk of the American Dream to come to America to get rich. He was married at the time, but he left his wife and two children in Italy." Procissi said Testa's family wasn't able to join him until 1922. Testa owned a bakery in Old Town when his family joined him. Procissi's parents met in Old Town Auburn. "In 1922 my mother was 19 years old," Procissi said. "She came over from Italy, and my father was operating the Union Bar … which is now the Carpe Vino building." The Procissi family moved to Grass Valley and then Lincoln for some time before returning to Auburn. In 1933 Procissi's father obtained a liquor license and opened a bar, Procissi's Tavern, which is now the California Club. After Procissi's father died in 1946, Procissi and his sister, Lena, took over the bar. "We continued the business there until 1995 when we sold our liquor license," Procissi said. "We had a very nice clientele, a big group of people. Auburn has been very good to my sister and I. I'll never leave Auburn." Procissi said Auburn has definitely grown, but he thinks it's positive growth. "I feel (Auburn) changed, because years ago I could go uptown and I could practically say hello to everyone walking up and down the street, because it was smaller," he said. "We need change. We can't just sit back and live like we did 50, 60 years ago." Adriana Jensen, Procissi's daughter, is also an Auburn resident. Jensen said her children insisted on attending Placer High School, because they wanted to follow the family tradition, although they were set to attend Bear River. Procissi also has a son, Robert, who lives in Lincoln. Jensen said she doesn't see moving away from Auburn as an option for her family's future. "I love Auburn," she said. "To me, Auburn's always home. I love going to the grocery store where you know everyone. I'm very close with my family. Mom and Dad were here, and I wanted my children to have that same closeness with family." Procissi said, unlike the old days, there is always something to do in Auburn, and he thinks it's very important to preserve the history of areas like Old Town. "I think it's changed a little bit, and I think it's changed for the best, because when I was younger I think Auburn was divided more into groups, and now it's more of a wide-open community feeling," Procissi said. "I like Auburn. I like it just the way it is." Reach Bridget Jones at bridgetj@goldcountrymedia.com