James Bales &
Lydia Travis

James Jamar “Jim” Bales, born April 11, 1882, and Lydia Jane Travis, born May 12, 1884, were both born and raised in the vicinity of Uniontown in southwestern Pennsylvania. The historic town of Uniontown, the county seat of Fayette County, is located about fifty miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

Uniontown was founded as a small settlement in 1776, but grew steadily over the next few decades. The National Highway, also known as the Cumberland Road or simply “the Pike,” passed through Uniontown beginning in 1818 and brought great prosperity to the area. Anyone traveling by wagon train to Pittsburgh or points west passed through the thriving town. The coming of the railroad in the 1850’s, which basically bypassed Uniontown on the way to Pittsburgh, ended the importance of the National Highway (now modern-day Route 40) and of Fayette County in general. The iron and steel mills, later followed by the mass mining of coal, would become the top industries in the rebounding county.

Jim Bales was the first child born to Thomas Bales and Johanna (“Hannah”) Lynch. (NOTE: In the 1800's the surname is often spelled as "Bailes," but the "I" is generally dropped altogether by the early 1900's). Jim’s exact place of birth is conflicting, but I believe he was born northeast of Uniontown in the small town of Mount Pleasant in neighboring Westmoreland County. Not much is known about his father Thomas, who was Scotch-Irish and born in either Pennsylvania or Northern Ireland. His mother Hannah, whose parents were both immigrants from Ireland, was born somewhere in northern Virginia.

Thomas and Hannah, married about 1880-1881, spent time in Westmoreland County, but apparently settled in downtown Uniontown by the turn of the century. James, born in 1882, had five siblings, Margaret (“Maggie”) was born in 1887, John in 1889, Michael in 1893, Luke in 1895, and Frank in late 1900. Two other siblings died at birth or when they very young. Thomas Bales is somewhat of a mystery and disappears by the time son Frank is born. (NOTE: See Thomas Bales & Johanna Lynch page for more information).

Lydia Jane Travis was the first child born to Abraham “Abe” Travis and Elizabeth Campbell. Lydia was born in Fayette County, but her place of birth is listed on different sources as Uniontown, Fairchance, or New Salem. Her father was born in Virginia (modern-day West Virginia) and he was the son of German immigrants. Her mother was born in Fayette County and descended from Irish or Scottish immigrants of an earlier generation.

The 1900 U.S. Census (enumerated in June 1900) reveals the families of “Hannah Bailes” (minus husband Thomas) and “Abe and Elizabeth Travis” were neighbors in downtown Uniontown. I believe the families lived two houses/apartments away from each other near the intersection of Church Street and South Beeson Avenue. Hannah Bales was living with her five kids and was pregnant with son Frank.

Oddly enough, the same census record reveals a “Martha Bailes,” age two, and listed as the niece of Abe Travis, living in the Travis household. At this time I am not sure who Martha’s parents are or why she is living with the Travis family. However, if she is the actual niece of Abe Travis (and related to our Bales’) that would mean that our Travis and Bales families were already joined by marriage at some earlier point.

Jim Bales and Lydia Travis started dating and were married in the Fayette County courthouse in downtown Uniontown on May 29, 1903. Jim’s mother Hannah was soon remarried to Irish coal miner James Delaney and moved to East Huntington Township, Westmoreland County.

Jim was employed as a molder or foundry man with National Radiator and eventually served as a supervisor. At that time the manufacturing of steam radiators, used for the heating of homes and businesses, was a booming industry. His career field saw them move every so often as he would be tasked to help straighten out other factories.

The next thirty years or so was a period of constant movement for Jim and Lydia. Their first child, Pansy Marie, was born in Uniontown on January 5, 1905. They apparently moved up north to the neighboring county of Westmoreland soon after as their second child, Lydia Jane, was born in the town of Hunker in May 1906. Another child, a son named James Jr. (“Jim”), was born in Westmoreland County in February 1909.

By April 1910, the Bales family was residing on Main Street in the town of West Newton in Westmoreland County. While they celebrated the birth of a second son, Roy Kenneth, in September 1911, the family suffered a tragedy the following June as son Jim Jr. died of rabies before reaching the age of four. He was buried in an unmarked grave in West Newton Cemetery.

The family was living in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, by 1915 and son Ray Daniel was born in Canton on March 6, 1915. The family was soon living in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, where another son named Clarence Paul was born in April 1918. It is known that Clarence died of pneumonia in New Castle in March 1919. He was buried next to his brother in West Newton Cemetery. During this time the family was living at #820 Bonzo Avenue in New Castle, but not for long.

The family was renting a home at #1520 Thorn Street in the city of Utica, Oneida County, New York, by January 1920. According to the 1920 U.S. Census records Jim was employed as a foreman at a “Heater Works.” Their stay in upstate New York was short-lived as they were back in New Castle soon after. In April 1920, Jim bought a house from Grace Rutland, the daughter of John and Rose (Bolinger) Reiber, off of East Maitland Road near East Brook in Hickory Township. (NOTE: The house is gone but it was right near where Hanna Lane is now located.) It was during this time that the family had two large Airedale Terriers.

Jim and Lydia had two more sons while residing in the East Brook area, John Merle (“Merle”) was born in April 1920 and James Jamar Jr. (“Jimmy”) was born in June 1922. Eldest daughter Pansy, at age eighteen, soon moved out as she was married to local boy Clarence Reiber in New Castle in July 1923.

By the late 1920’s, the Bales family was off to Baltimore, Maryland, where several of Jim’s brothers were living. Jim purchased a home at #429 Buena Vista Avenue in northern Baltimore, just of modern-day Route 81 and near Druid Hill Park. Jim, as a superintendent, and son Roy worked at the radiator factory. Daughter Lydia married Donald Deibert in October 1929, moved in with him and his parents, and eventually settled in the suburb of Towson, Maryland.

Before long (late 1930-early 1932) the Bales family was back in the New Castle area, living way out on Harlansburg Road and west of the small town of Harlansburg. (NOTE: The house is long gone and the area is now a large gravel/stone plant behind a golf cart repair business.) The family attended the Croton Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church in New Castle and took an active role in church activities. Meanwhile, sons Ray and Roy were married in July 1936 and January 1937 respectively, moved out of the family home, and settled in New Castle in the vicinity of Croton Avenue. Roy later moved away and made his longtime home in northern New Jersey.

In early June 1939, mother Lydia began experiencing severe abdominal pain and became quite ill with fever. She was admitted into Jameson Hospital and it was soon determined that Lydia was suffering from a ruptured appendix. She underwent an emergency appendectomy on Sunday, June 4, and remained hospitalized. Unfortunately, she never recovered and passed away on Friday, June 9, at 7:55pm, at the age of fifty-five. The official cause of death was given as peritonitis, a severe inflammation of the abdominal wall usually caused by a ruptured organ.

The family sent a telegram to Lydia’s mother, seventy-four-year-old Elizabeth (Campbell) Travis, back in Uniontown and she arrived by train to attend the services. A brief viewing was held on Sunday, June 11, at the Joseph B. Leyde Mortuary in New Castle before her remains were taken to the home of her son Ray at #213 North Mulberry Street off Croton Avenue. The Reverend J. A. Cousens, the pastor of the Croton Avenue M. E. Church, conducted a service for close family and friends at the home on Tuesday, June 13, at 10:00am. She was interred in West Newton Cemetery later that day, next to her infant sons James and Clarence.

It was said that Jim was extremely nice to everybody - except his own family. Son Jimmy soon learned how true this could be. Immediately after Lydia’s funeral Jim moved out of (and probably prepared to sell) the house on Harlansburg Road. I believe Jimmy, not quite seventeen, was the only child still at home as Merle, at age nineteen, was living with his brother Ray on North Mulberry Street. Jim is said to have loaded up a horse and wagon with all his possessions and proceeded to tell his son Jimmy that he was on his own. Luckily a neighbor took Jimmy in and he was able to finish high school in Harlansburg.

Jim took up residence in New Castle at #349 Neshannock Avenue off Croton Avenue. Both Merle, who was married in September 1941, and Jimmy would see service with the U.S. Army during World War II (1941-1945). They both returned home safely by early 1946 and settled down in New Castle area. In November 1946, when Jimmy was married, Jim was residing with a new girlfriend known as Ms. Kerr at #666½ East Washington Avenue. That address was an upstairs apartment at the Villanova Inn, which is still in business today.

Jim later moved in his son Ray and his family at his new home at #215 North Scott Street. By the early 1950’s, Jim was in declining health suffering from dementia, severe arthritis, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis (“stiffening of the arteries”). He passed away in bed on the morning of Tuesday, May 18, 1954, at the age of seventy-three. The official cause of death was given as cardiac arrest.

A viewing was held at the Joseph B. Leyde Mortuary in New Castle from 7:00-9:00pm on May 18 and 19. A funeral service, conducted by the Reverend Glenn Spackey, was held at the mortuary at 1:00pm on Thursday, May 20 1954. He was interred beside his wife and his infant sons in West Newton Cemetery later that evening.

The six children of Jim and Lydia Bales who survived into adulthood produced a total of twenty-one children, who in turn have produced many children and grandchildren of their own.