Official Pennsylvania Visitor's Guide
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Robert Sayles was born on February 17, 1866. The 1880 Federal Census shows a 14 year old Robert Sale, living in Norfolk, Virginia with his grandmother. Not much is known about his early childhood. All that is known is Roberts' family probably migrated to McKeesport, Pennsylvania during the later 1800's sometime after the Emanicipation Proclamation freed the slaves.
Early records indicate that Roberts last name was originally spelled S-A-L-E-S. Records after 1891 show the spelling as S-A-Y-L-E-S.
Most of what is documented was told by Robert's son Reuben during an interview with the Pittsburgh Press in 1982.
The McKee family came to America in search of a “Church without a bishop and a state without a King”. John McKee, son of David, was actually credited with the founding of this village in the new world which lay at the confluence of the Youghagheny and Monongahela rivers about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. Eventually the McKee family bought a good bit of land between the rivers, and the land became known as McKee’s Port (and later, simply as McKeesport).
Wartime production during the Second World War continued to attract Southern blacks to Pennsylvania. Steel Mills in Pittsburgh and shipyards in Philadelphia employed many African Americans.
Around 1890 Robert met a young woman working in Versailles, Pennsylvania named Cecilia Young. She was also had migrated from Virginia.
In 1889 Robert worked in a coal mine in Port Vue, Pennsylvania earning one dollar per day. During the 1900's Robert started working at the McKeesport Brick Company, which was located at the corner of 13th and Walnut Street. He worked as a hud carrier for many years.
Robert Sales and Cecilia Young were married on May 12, 1867.
Together they had 12 children: Patrick, Reuben, Grace, Robert Jr., Salena, Laganya, Marie, Clarence, Jenny, Joseph, Marinda and Velma.
exerpts from Sayles:Our past, Our Future book by LaVon Thomas
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania