I appreciate all feedback that I receive from the readers of this column. I know there are people who enjoy reading about the earliest settlers of Green County. Much was written about Lucena Churchill Sykes, who was a sister of Caroline Bingham, because she lived to be 93 and was one of the early inhabitants of Monroe.
Lucena was born on February 14, 1833 in Alton, Illinois to William and Almira Churchill. She came here with her mother and four siblings when she was seven years old. A log cabin, the only dwelling place in the central section of Monroe at that time, served as their first home here. They had been encouraged to move here by relatives who lived 10 miles away who had spoken highly of this fine, new country. She remembered picking strawberries where the courthouse now stands. She saw the first courthouse being built of rough lumber and then saw it burn to the ground before it was completed. She saw the next courthouse built of bricks that had been made in Monroe and then saw it replaced by the present building. She attended school here and taught in the rural schools of York and Sylvester Townships. An article in 1920 stated that the 87-year-old had outlived all of her former pupils.
Lucena married William Sykes here on September 1, 1858. The 1860 census showed that William was a baker; they had a 9-month-old son, George. An ad in the Monroe Sentinel for his bakery on December 25, 1861 said that he kept refreshments of all kinds on hand and had a good assortment of confectionery on the north side of the square. His City Bakery can be seen on page 13 of the Pictorial History of Monroe.
The 1870 census showed that they had two more children, Frank, 5, and Jennie, 2., plus a 19 year-old Norwegian domestic servant. They had $1,200 in real estate and $1,300 in personal property.
He had a soda fountain added to his establishment in June 1870. An ad on May 21, 1873 said that he carried bread, cakes, pies, rusks, buns, and more items baked to order and had the best brands of crackers. Unfortunately, William passed away on August 27 at the age of 41 leaving Lucena with three children between the ages of 7 and 14.
It was announced on June 27, 1877 that Lucena had purchased the fixtures and stock of the bakery and was to keep a variety of good things “such as hot coffee, hot and iced tea, made fresh to order, homemade biscuits and bread, butter, cold meat, pies, cakes, pickles, cheese, crackers, bologna, sardines, fruit, confectionery, &c.” Those who wanted a clean, well prepared lunch would be accommodated “at a reasonable price and on short notice.”
That October Lucena sold the bakery to Charley Robertson, her half brother. It is unknown if Lucena took another job or stayed at home. In addition to food items, Charles started to sell cigars and tobacco. Four years later, it was fitted up for, and occupied by, a saloon.
After the bakery building and the Young grocery burned on New Years Day in 1889, the bakery building was still owned by Mrs. Sykes, even though the ground was owned by her stepfather, Jesse Robertson. Lucena had been given the lease by her husband 25 years earlier.
After their mother, Almira Robertson, passed away in 1893, Lucena and her brother, George Churchill, purchased their mother’s home from the other heirs. They planned to keep it and make improvements on it from time to time.
As Lucena got older, articles were seen in the newspaper quite often at the time her birthday, Valentine’s Day. They would often share the same memories that I included above. The first of those was in 1927 when she was turning 87. She had lived here for more than 80 years, which she claimed was longer than any other resident. At that time, she thought she’d live to reach 100. This birthday was a quiet one since she had recently lost her sister, Maria Churchill; only her son George, of Lancaster, was there. When asked how she had lived so long, she shared that it was a “proper diet and mental science,” skipping breakfast and only eating two meals a day.
Mrs. Sykes was in attendance at a supper in the vestry of the Universalist Church the following year on March 24. This was in honor of some of the old-timers of the church, which included Joseph Wood, 90. There were 11 people honored at this meal, all of whom were 75 or older, with the average age being 80. Lucena was one of the oldest founders.
Her birthday was celebrated bigger in 1922 with people calling at her home, 1009 15th Avenue, during the day. She was the guest of honor for a party in the evening with 14 ladies who “will bring provisions for a supper,” hosted by her cousins, Martha Relf and D. Gardner. She shared, “I read a great deal. I thoroughly enjoy reading. My eyes are good, but I wear spectacles when I read. I enjoy reading current events, and I receive the Chicago Tribune, the Outlook and other papers and magazines. I spend considerable time at the library, where I derive much pleasure, reading principally history, and biographies. I don’t like fiction, in fact, I have no use whatever for it.”
She also thought that “the young folks nowadays, . . . are inclined toward longevity.” She added,“the present generation, as a rule, take better care of themselves.”
Her three children were present at her home for her 90th birthday, spending the day quietly. The headline in 1924 read, “Oldest Valentine has 91st Birthday.” She remembered that Monroe had grown “from a handful of log cabins to a city of 5,000 during my residence here.”
“A dear old woman of 93,” Mrs. Sykes passed away in her home on the evening of May 4, 1926. Her remains were to be taken to Milwaukee to be cremated in Forest Home Cemetery. There is a tombstone at Greenwood Cemetery next to her husband.
— Matt Figi is a Monroe resident and a local historian. His column will appear periodically on Saturdays in the Times. He can be reached at mfigi48@tds.net or at 608-325-6503.
